Jackets Advance to Heartland Championship (3/1/06)
Box Score              Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings men broke from a halftime tie to defeat Oklahoma Panhandle State 80-67 Wednesday night in the semifinals of the Heartland Conference playoffs.  The Yellowjackets, seeded second in the playoffs, will meet top-seeded St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX, on Saturday night.  Tip off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in Austin, 6:30 p.m. MST.  The game will be aired live on AM 970 in Billings and on the web at www.msubillings.edu/athletics.

“We’re very, very pleased with all the kids’ efforts,” said Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse afterward.  “Our seniors really stepped up.  Carlin Hughes handled the ball well, and Jonathan Wiley played a great basketball game.  All five of those guys (starters) played great.  I’m just very proud of the guys to come out and work as hard as they did.”

After the teams combined for just seven points in the first four minutes of the game, the Yellowjackets stormed to an 11-point lead by the 12:00 mark behind seven points from Moritz Wohlers.  Three different Jackets knocked down 3-pointers during that same span.

The Aggies were able to erase the Jackets’ lead in the final five minutes of the first half.  After a Hughes 3-pointer gave MSU Billings a 30-20 edge, OPSU went on a 14-4 run to end the half.  Two Eddie Moss 3-pointers sparked the run, and Juan Carson scored six points in the paint.

Oklahoma Panhandle State took the lead on the first possession of the second half when Moss drove to the hoop and scored on a lay-up.  That turned out to be the Aggies’ final lead of the game, however, as the Yellowjackets went on to make eight of their 13 three-pointers in the second half.

The Yellowjackets gradually built their lead over the first 12 minutes of the second half until a Cameron Munoz 3-pointer with 8:26 to play gave MSU Billings a 12-point lead, 61-49.  The basket was Munoz’s fourth 3-pointer of the game; he would finish with five.  His first triple at 15:39 of the first half broke the all-time NCAA Division II career record of 443 formerly held by Stephen Dye of Alderson-Broaddus.  Munoz finished the game with 448 career 3-pointers.

Five-straight points by Buddy Windy Boy and a lay-up by Wohlers opened the Jackets’ lead to 19 with 6:14 to play.  It was about at that point that the Jackets learned the outcome of the other semifinal game in which St. Edward’s defeated Western New Mexico 77-59.  The Yellowjackets split the two conference games against the Hilltoppers this season and won a third non-conference game in Austin.

The Aggies started to foul to stop the clock with 2:10 left in the game.  Over the final two minutes the Yellowjackets converted seven of eight shots from the charity stripe to seal the win.  A fast break dunk by Drew Arnold off a behind the back pass from Hughes in the final 20 seconds put the exclamation point on the game.

Windy Boy led all scorers with 18 points, hitting 4-of-9 from behind the arc.  He sparked the Yellowjackets’ second half run, scoring 16 of his 18 points and all four of his 3-pointers in the second half.

Hughes, Wohlers, and Munoz each finished the night with 17 points.  Wohlers had a double-double with 12 rebounds, and Hughes handed out eight assists.  Jonathan Wiley added nine points and eight rebounds as the Yellowjacket starters scored 78 of the team’s 80 points.

“You have to put the ball in the basket,” said Carse.  “Tonight the guys did a good job in the second half.  Compliments to Panhandle.  They had a wonderful second half of the season.  They played very, very hard and very well. 

The Aggies were paced by 18 points from Moss and a dozen from Aaron Harrison.  OPSU’s 21 turnovers led to 18 Yellowjacket points.