Jackets Drop Fourth-Straight to Start Season (12/8/06)
Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX – The Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team lost its fourth game in a row to start the season, falling 64-52 at St. Mary’s University on Friday.  By dropping the Yellowjackets to 0-4, the Rattlers crawled over the .500 mark to 4-3.

In three meetings last season, the Yellowjackets and Rattlers ran up over 500 combined points.  That wasn’t the case Friday night as the Rattlers slogged to a 34-21 halftime lead.  The game was close in the early going before STMU pulled away for their first double-digit lead less than nine minutes before intermission.  Marcus Hill scored 11 of the Rattlers’ first 17 points en route to a game-high 21.

The Yellowjackets, playing with just eight players on the trip, tried to slow the game down by running the shot clock down to single digits almost each possession.  The strategy worked for the first 10 minutes of the game before the Rattlers’ solid shooting took over.  STMU shot 50 percent from the field in the game and hit 8-of-18 from 3-point range.

“Our kids followed our game plan,” said Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse.  “We wanted to reduce the number of possessions in the game to give ourselves an opportunity to win.  Our guys did a good job of that since we haven’t practiced it much.  St. Mary’s shot the ball very well.  We played off of some of their shooters, and they stepped up and hit some threes.”

MSU Billings outscored the Rattlers 31-30 in the second half, but could never get enough offensive momentum going to make a run.  The Jackets trailed by as many as 20 in the second half. 

“We missed seven free throws,” said Carse.  “When we’re playing this kind of ball we need to make those. We almost have to play perfect.  Right now we’re not making good decisions with the basketball.  The effort and attitudes of our guys is phenomenal.  We’ll get better.”

Only five players scored in the game for MSUB.  Jonathan Wiley (Westlake Village, CA) led the Jackets with 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and 8-of-10 from the free throw line.  Freshman Jeff Miner (Gresham, OR) scored a dozen points, hitting 2-of-4 from behind the arc.  Ammar Harknell (Stockholm, Sweden) added nine points, Carl Johnson (Rapid City, SD) had eight, and Cody Samuelson (Broadus, MT) had six.

Hill was the only player to score in double digits for the Rattlers.  Jawan Bailey and Jarvis Lee each added nine points, and Allen Coleman had eight.  STMU out-rebounded the Yellowjackets 28-25, and also forced 12 MSUB turnovers.

The Yellowjackets have played all four of their season-opening games on the road.  They will open the home schedule on Saturday, December 16 when they host West Liberty State.  The Hilltoppers were the top scoring team in NCAA Division II last season and are averaging 105 points per game through their first six games this year.  Tip off at Alterowitz Gym is scheduled for 2:00 p.m.  The game will be aired on AM 970 in Billings and on the web at www.msubillings.edu/athletics.