Yellowjackets Win Fourth Straight PacWest Game (Jan. 29, 2005)
Box Score
BILLINGS, MT – Montana State-Billings broke
the century mark for the fourth straight game Saturday afternoon,
downing Western New Mexico 104-76 at Alterowitz Gym. The
Yellowjackets improved to 12-6 overall and 4-4 in the PacWest
Conference after their fourth consecutive win. The Mustangs fell
to 6-13, 1-7.
MSU Billings has averaged 109.2 points a game
over the last five games, winning four of the five. For the
season, the Jackets are averaging 92.9 points, the fourth highest
scoring average in the nation for Division II.
After being blown out by the Yellowjackets
118-70 on Thursday, Western New Mexico put together a solid first
half Saturday afternoon. The Mustangs opened the game with a 15-7
run and led for much of the first half. Eight MSU Billings
turnovers led to 13 WNMU points, and Adam Grimes and Nick Gaiser
came off the bench to combine for 11 points.
There were six ties and eight lead changes in
the opening half, but MSU Billings held the lead for less than
five minutes. Lucas
Walker’s (Fr., Launceston, Australia) 3-point play with 33
seconds left in the half erased the Mustangs’ lead for good,
giving the Jackets a 48-46 halftime advantage.
After the Yellowjackets were late arriving
back on the floor after halftime, Western’s Mike Sells sank two
technical foul free throws to tie the game before the second half
clock started. That was as close as the Mustangs would get,
however, as the MSU Billings defense took over the game.
The Yellowjackets forced 14 second half
turnovers that led to 19 points. With the “D” sparking the
offense, MSU Billings outscored the Mustangs 14-6 on fast break
points in the second half and 22-9 in the game. The Yellowjackets
also reversed the bench production in the second half, holding
Western’s bench to just two points. Grimes was held scoreless in
the second half and Gaiser had just one basket.
Six of the seven Yellowjackets who saw
playing time in the game scored in double figures. Senior Justin Hassell (Brooklyn, NY) led all players with 26 points.
He was 8-of-16 from the field and 10-of-11 from the free throw
line. Hassell also pulled down a career-high 16 rebounds. He
grabbed 11 of his boards on the offensive end, helping the Jackets
to 20 second chance points. Hassell leads the PacWest averaging
3.61 offensive rebounds a game.
Walker and fellow freshman Carlin Hughes (Perth, Australia) scored 22 and 21 points
respectively. Walker was 10-of-19 from the field and also grabbed
eight rebounds. Hughes was 8-of-11 from the floor and dished out
a game-high seven assists. Thirteen of the Jackets’ 24 assists
came in the second half.
Buddy Windy Boy (Jr., Lodge Grass, MT), Jonathan Wiley (So., Westlake Village, CA) and Cameron Munoz (Jr., Chino, CA) each scored 11 points. The
trio combined for nine of the Yellowjackets’ 11 3-pointers with
each knocking down three triples. Munoz was just 3-of-13 from
behind the arc, but he dished out six assists.
Wiley’s three 3-pointers were a career high.
He has become an increasingly dangerous deep threat in the second
half of the season. In the last five games he is 9-of-13 from
3-point range (69 percent).
The Mustangs were led by Matt Enriquez’s 23
points. He also had six rebounds and was 7-of-9 from the line.
Sells finished with 12 points, and Trey Clarkson added 10.
Western shot just 39 percent from the field and 32 percent from
3-point range.
MSU Billings is now idle until January 8 when
the Yellowjackets host Hawaii-Hilo. The Vulcans are currently
ranked second in the West Region and seventeenth in the nation.
The Jackets will also play host to Chaminade on January 10 and 12
before they make a three game swing to Hawaii.
Click HERE for
photos of the Yellowjackets vs. Western New Mexico |
