Yellowjackets Fall to Seasiders in Overtime Thriller (Jan. 18, 2005)
Box
Score
BILLINGS, MT – BYU-Hawaii held on for a wild
100-99 overtime win over Montana State-Billings Tuesday night at
Alterowitz Gym. The Seasiders improved to 8-4 overall and 3-0 in
the PacWest, dropping the Yellowjackets to 8-6, 0-4. MSU Billings
hosts Hawaii Pacific on Thursday and Saturday, and BYU-Hawaii
travels to Western New Mexico for a pair of games. Western New
Mexico defeated Hawaii Pacific, 93-83, in Silver City on Tuesday.
The start of the game was far from the wild
ride it would turn into. BYU-Hawaii raced to a double digit lead
in the first six and a half minutes. The Seasiders built their
lead to as many as 15 when Thomas Watkins hit a 3-pointer at the
11:25 mark of the first half.
The Yellowjackets chipped into BYUH’s lead
over the final eight minutes of the half, pulling to within one on
a pair of Jonathan Wiley (So., Westlake Village, CA) free throws
with 2:41 remaining. BYU-Hawaii eventually settled for a 50-46
halftime advantage after a technical foul on the Seasiders’ Austin
Smylie after the first half clock had expired gave Buddy Windy Boy (Jr., Lodge Grass, MT) two free throws going into the locker room.
The second half was a battle that saw both
teams seemingly take control and then lose the lead. The
Yellowjackets gained their first lead of the game just 1:10 into
the second half on back-to-back 3-pointers from Windy Boy and Carlin Hughes (Fr., Perth, Australia). There were seven lead
changes in the first nine minutes of the second half.
MSU Billings built its largest lead of the
game, 74-67, on a Windy Boy 3-pointer with 8:06 to play. The
Seasiders erased that lead by the 6:22 mark on a pair of
3-pointers sandwiched around a tip-in. BYU-Hawaii led for the
next six minutes until Windy Boy’s layup with 20 ticks on the
clock gave MSU Billings an 82-81 lead.
The Jackets’ Wiley came up with a loose ball
off a Michael Stowell turnover in the backcourt on the next
possession. Wiley found Windy Boy streaking to the basket for the
go ahead points. The Seasiders’ Paul Peterson made a critical
turnover with an offensive foul on the ensuing possession, and
BYUH was forced to foul. Wiley hit both free throws to give
MSU Billings an 84-81 lead.
The Seasiders tied the game on a Stowell
3-pointer with 12 seconds left in regulation. He came free off a
screen at the top of the key for the tying basket. The Jackets’ Kerington Youmans (So., Atlanta, GA) missed a 3-point attempt when
Peterson blocked his shot with three seconds left.
BYU-Hawaii never trailed in the overtime
period, building a seven point lead behind three 3-pointers in the
first three minutes. Watkins knocked down threes on back-to-back
possessions during the run.
MSU Billings rallied again, pulling to within
one on a Lucas Walker (Fr., Launceston, Australia) dunk with 14
seconds left. Peterson again turned the ball over in a melee with
about three seconds left and the Yellowjackets were able to get
the ball to Windy Boy on the baseline with time running out. His
jumper was just off the mark, but would not have counted had it
gone in.
Walker led the Yellowjackets with 21 points
on 10-of-18 shooting. He also grabbed a game-high eight
rebounds. Windy Boy finished with 20 points, making 4-of-13 from
3-point range. The Yellowjackets were 11-of-34 from behind the
arc.
All five starters scored in double figures
for MSU Billings. Justin Hassell (Sr., Brooklyn, NY) added 16
points, connecting on all eight of his free throw attempts. Wiley
finished with 12 points and three assists, and Hughes had 11
points. Hughes was 3-of-9 from long range.
The Seasiders were led by 21 points from
Watkins. He was 5-of-9 from 3-point range. Jake Chrisman added
20 points on 7-of-12 shooting. Stowell finished with 19 points
and six rebounds. He was 3-of-4 from behind the arc. Smylie
added 13 points, and C.J. Fellars had 10 points with eight
rebounds.
Click HERE for photos of
the Yellowjackets vs. BYU-Hawaii |
