Jackets Drop Second Straight in TX (12/30/05)
Box Score

KINGSVILLE, TX – Turnovers doomed the Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team Friday night as the Yellowjackets lost to Texas A&M-Kingsville, 93-78.  The loss was the second-straight for the Jackets, who fell to 5-2 on the season.  The Javelinas improved to 8-3 and tied East Central (OK) for top honors at TAMUK’s own Holiday Classic.

The Yellowjackets turned the ball over 19 times in the game, and those 19 giveaways led to 26 points at the other end of the floor, 11 more than the final margin of victory.  Eleven of the Jackets’ turnovers—and 17 of the Javelinas’ points off turnovers—came in the first half as TAMUK built a 46-33 lead by halftime.

“We just never established a rhythm,” said Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse.  “I didn’t think we ever had a good shooting rhythm in either of the games this weekend.  They [TAMUK) did a good job of defending the shooters.  Our shooters had a tough time getting open looks.”

After a slow start led to an 8-2 deficit in the first 1:48 of the game, the Yellowjackets stormed back to tie the game by the 17:03 mark on 3-pointers from Cameron Munoz (Sr., Chino, CA) and Buddy Windy Boy (Sr., Lodge Grass, MT).  MSU Billings built its lead to as many as five when Lucas Walker’s (So., Launceston, Australia) dunk at 15:17 of the first half gave the Jackets a 13-8 lead.

The Javelinas used a five point run to tie the game at 13-13 before a five point Yellowjacket run, capped by a Moritz Wohlers (Sr., Wolfenbuttel, Germany) layup, gave MSU Billings an 18-13 edge at 12:31 of the first half.  TAMUK answered with a 12-0 run and never trailed again. 

The Yellowjackets were unable to trim their deficit to less than 12 points the entire second half as the Javelinas pulled away.  TAMUK would eventually lead by as many as 26 late in the game.

Munoz scored a team-high 26 points, hitting 6-of-8 from 3-point range.  He made his first seven field goal attempts of the game, although he attempted just four shots the entire first half.  Munoz was named to the all-tournament team as was Windy Boy.  Windy Boy scored 14 points with four 3-pointers.  He also had two assists.

Wohlers also finished with 14, connecting on 5-of-9 from the field.  He led the Yellowjackets with six rebounds.  TAMUK out-rebounded MSU Billings 36-21 in the game.  Walker added 11 points and four rebounds before fouling out.  He was 4-of-9 from the field.

Carlin Hughes (So., Perth, Australia) added seven points and 14 assists.  He also pulled down five rebounds.  Drew Arnold (So., Tempe, AZ) was 3-of-3 from the field for six points to round out the Yellowjackets’ scoring.  Only six players scored in the game for MSU Billings, and Arnold was the only player off the bench to play more than 10 minutes.

The Javelinas were led by Remi Yusuf’s season-high 27 points.  He was 10-of-18 from the field and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.  He also had seven rebounds and four assists to earn tournament MVP honors.  Big man Juan Lanauze was 9-of-11 from the field, mostly in the paint, for 19 points.  He grabbed nine rebounds and was also named to the all-tournament team.  Joining Yusuf, Lanauze, Munoz and Windy Boy on the all-tourney team were Brandon Bingle and Ian Adams of East Central University.

The Javelinas had all five starters score in double figures.  Kia Griffin added 16, Bobby Pandy had 13, and Ricky Huckaby netted 11.  As a team the Javelinas shot 60 percent from the field.

The Yellowjackets return to Billings to open the Heartland Conference schedule next Wednesday against Western New Mexico.  It will be the conference opener for both squads.  MSU Billings then hosts Oklahoma Panhandle State on Friday and Saturday.  All three days are doubleheaders with the Lady Yellowjackets playing before the men.