Yellowjackets Turn Out Lights with Threes (Feb. 24, 2005)

BILLINGS, MT – Montana State-Billings hit 17 three-pointers Thursday night to pull away from Montana State-Northern, 94-69.  Cameron Munoz and Carlin Hughes made six 3-pointers apiece to lift the Yellowjackets to 17-8 on the season.  Northern lost for the seventh straight time to fall to 12-16.

The Lights used a quick start to build a 15-6 lead against a Yellowjackets team that was coming off a three game trip to Hawaii.  Antonio Jordan’s layup with 13:39 left in the first half gave Northern its nine point lead. 

Munoz (Jr., Chino, CA) and Hughes (Fr., Perth, Australia) combined for 11 points to cut the Lights’ lead to 15-14 by the 12:14 mark.  Hughes gave MSU Billings its first lead of the night on a 3-pointer with 9:38 to go in the half. 

MSU Billings built a seven point lead over the next two minutes, but Northern answered with a 7-0 run capped by a Cory Brothers layup with 4:44 left.  Brothers gave the Lights their final lead of the half, 31-30, on a layup a minute later.  Drew Arnold (Fr., Tempe, AZ) and Munoz made back-to-back 3-pointers to close the half, giving the Jackets a 36-33 lead at the break.

The Yellowjackets opened the half with a scoreless spell of almost two minutes.  The Lights capitalized to regain the lead with a Jordan Matthews 3-pointer and a Tim Hutchins layup.  MSU-Billing finally scored at 18:18 on a Justin Hassell (Sr., Brooklyn, NY) jumper in the paint, tying the game at 38-38.  Hassell was fouled and converted on the 3-point play, giving the Jackets the lead for good. 

MSU Billings put together a 12-1 run over the middle four minutes of the second half to break the game open.  Buddy Windy Boy’s (Jr., Lodge Grass, MT) 3-pointer started the run with 12:03 to play, and Hassell’s layup at 8:35 put the Jackets up 71-55.  MSU Billings extended its lead to as many as 28 down the stretch.

Munoz, who was 6-of-16 from beyond the arc, moved into second place all-time on the Yellowjacket career 3-point list, passing Mark Hamilton’s 286.  Munoz now has 291 and trails only Marcus Halgrimson’s 371.  Munoz’s 23 points on the night also moved him past Fred Johnston for eleventh on the all-time scoring list with 1,216 points.

Hughes finished with a career-high 29 points, knocking down 6-of-15 from long range.  He and Munoz combined for 25 first half points to help the Jackets overcome their sluggish start.  Hughes also handed out a game-high seven assists.

Four of the five Yellowjacket starters scored in double figures.  Hassell finished with 21 points, connecting on 9-of-11 from the free throw line.  He also pulled down nine rebounds, narrowly missing his tenth double-double of the year.  Windy Boy added 11 points with three 3-pointers.

The Jackets out rebounded the Lights 45-39, including 15 offensive rebounds that led to 14 second chance points.  Munoz grabbed eight boards, and Cody Samuelson (So., Broadus, MT) and Arnold finished with seven apiece.  MSU Billings also forced 14 Lights turnovers that led to 26 points.

The Lights were paced by Marcus Wilson’s 16 points.  Brothers added 13 points, and Jordan finished with nine.  Landen Grant had eight points and eight rebounds.

MSU Billings plays its final home game on Saturday against Johnson & Wales from Denver.  The Wildcats are 14-14 and also feature a high scoring offense.  Their last game was a 124-118 win against Midland Lutheran College.  Tip off is set for 7:00 p.m.  Saturday will also be “Senior Night” for Hassell—the Yellowjackets’ only senior—who will be honored following the game.

Click HERE for photos of the Yellowjackets vs. MSU-Northern.