Yellowjackets Top Falcons, 111-61 (2/17/07)
Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT –Led by Tom D'Amore's eight 3-pointers, the Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team cruised to the 111-61 win over Texas - Permian Basin Saturday at Alterowitz Gym.  The Yellowjackets improved to 5-19 with the win while the Falcons fell to 8-14.

A revved Yellowjacket team quickly got on top opening up a double-digit lead by the 10:32 mark of the first half and never looked back.  MSUB went on a 9-0 run late in the half with four different Yellowjackets combining for points.  A jumper by senior Jonathan Wiley (West Lake Village, CA) at the buzzer gave the Yellowjackets a 20-point lead at the halfway mark.

Continuing to pound the Falcons from the perimeter and in the paint, Permian-Basin was caught on their heels by the consistency of Tom D’Amore (Tucson, AZ) from 3-point range.  Seven of D’Amore’s 3-pointers came in the second half and more impressively they all occurred in a span of 4:38.  The Yellowjackets hit the century mark on a 3-pointer by Troy Ruff (Custer, MT) with just over three minutes left to play.  This is the first 100-point game for the Yellowjackets this season.

The Jackets were led by D’Amore’s 27 points.  He was 8-of-14 from the field and tied his game-high knocking down 8-of-13 three-pointers.  Wiley scored 17 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the floor and was 7-of-8 from the line.  He also grabbed eight boards in the game.  Ruff notched a career-best 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from both the field and the perimeter for a personal game-high five 3-pointers.

As a team the Yellowjackets shot 35-of-72 from the field and 19-of-40 from long range for 48 percent.  The team was a sizzling 92 percent from the charity stripe connecting on 22-of-24 attempts.  The Jackets out-rebounded the Falcons 39-30.

The Falcons’ Nedrie Simmons led his team scoring 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the floor.  Matt Zaney added 12 points and four rebounds before fouling out and Demitrius Davis netted 11 points.

The Falcons were 20-of-48 from the field, a dismal 3-of-14 from 3-point range and 18-of-24 from the line for 75 percent.  The Falcons tuned the ball over 29 times leading to 36 Yellowjacket points.

The Yellowjackets wrap up their home schedule with two games against Heartland Conference opponent Dallas Baptist on February 19 and 20.  Monday’s game will be a conference counter while Tuesday’s game will be a regional counter.  Both games tip off at 7:00 p.m. at Alterowitz Gym.  Games can be heard live on AM 970 KBUL.