Yellowjackets Escape with Win in Season Opener (Nov. 22, 2003)
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BILLINGS, MT – A late rally helped the
MSU Billings men’s basketball team survive a hot-shooting and
upset-minded Minot State team Saturday night in the Yellowjackets’
season opener, 98-95.
Minot State (2-3), which entered the night
averaging 102.5 points per game, could hardly miss from the
field. The Beavers shot 71-percent from the field and
76.5-percent from 3-point range, making 13-of-17 from behind the
arc. In the first half, Minot made 7-of-8 three-pointers
(87.5-percent). Jeff Brandt made five of the Beavers’ threes and
finished with a game-high 30 points. Lawrence Conner scored 19
and Kent Bloms added 15.
While the Beavers had the red hot shooting
hands, the Yellowjackets struggled to find the bottom of the
bucket. In the first half they made just 3-of-11 from 3-point
range (27-percent) and an uncharacteristic 8-of-13 from the free
throw line (61.5-percent). Jerett Skrifvars (Sr., Brea, CA), who
missed only five free throws combined in the five games he played
last season (37-of-42), missed four Saturday night (9-of-13).
MSU Billings finished the night shooting 52-percent from the field
and just 61-percent from the line.
What the Jackets lacked in shooting touch in
their first outing of the season they made up for with defense.
MSUB forced the Beavers into 31 turnovers for a turnover margin of
+20. Trae Fortier (Jr., Los Angeles, CA) made three steals in the
game to go with his team-high 25 points. Fortier was 11-of-21
from the field and also grabbed five rebounds.
Bloms scored nine points from 15:01 to 8:19
of the second half to lead the Beavers to their 11 point lead.
MSUB used a 9-0 run between 7:03 and 4:19 of the second half to
erase an 11-point deficit and tie the game at 83. It was the
fourth of eight ties in the game. Fortier and Skrifvars combined
for a dozen points over a four minute stretch to cut into Minot’s
lead, and a Cameron Munoz (So., Chino, CA) 3-pointer at 4:19 tied
the game at 83. Munoz finished the game 4-of-5 from behind the
arc for 18 points. He also had two assists and two steals.
Despite four lead changes over the final four
minutes, Minot only led once more after a pair of Khalid Loda free
throws put the Beavers ahead 91-89 at the 2:10 mark. Fortier made
two free throws of his own just 13 seconds later to tie the game,
and Alex Galloway’s (Jr., Brooklyn, NY) free throws at 1:18 put
MSUB ahead for good.
The Yellowjackets’ next game will be December
1 against University of Great Falls, followed by a non-region DII
game against Chadron State on December 6. Both games are at home.
They will open West Region play on December 13 at Humboldt State,
the No. 1-ranked team in the nation.
Click HERE to view photos of the Yellowjackets vs. Minot State |
