Yellowjackets Cruise to 93-66 Win Over Blue Tigers (1/21/06)
Box Score

JEFFERSON CITY, MO – Despite getting themselves into foul trouble early, the Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team shut down Lincoln University sailing to a 93-66 victory Saturday in Jefferson City.  This win marks seven in a row for the Jackets and their fourth on the road to improve to 12-2 overall and 5-0 in the Heartland Conference.  The Blue Tigers drop to 7-12 and 2-3 in league play.

“This was a wonderful win for the guys,” said Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse.  “The Tigers were willing to run the court with us and that suits our style well.  The guys were able to adjust to the officiating to avoid fouling out of the game.  That shows our maturity level.”

Taking into account three ties at the 15:37, 14:53 and 13:51 mark of the first half, the Jackets led wire to wire.  Moritz Wohlers (Sr., Wolfenbuttel, Germany) came out of the gate running, scoring nine of the Jackets’ first 12 points giving the team the early eight-point lead against the Blue Tigers.  The Tigers answered back with eight of their own points over the next one minute and sixteen seconds to tie the teams at 12 apiece.  The Tigers got their final look at the Jackets tying the game for the last time with 13:51 to play in the half on two made free throws by Brandon Jones.  The Tigers were held scoreless for two and a half minutes until a field goal by Darrin Laye got the Tigers moving again.  The Jackets took their largest lead of the half with 51 seconds to play when Cody Samuelson (Jr., Broadus, MT) went two for two at the charity stripe sending the two teams into the locker room 54-32, Jackets leading.

Buddy Windy Boy (Sr., Lodge Grass, MT) got the Jackets' scoring started in the second half making his second of three 3-pointers in the game at the 19:35 mark.  The Jackets steadily built their lead to as many as 33 on consistent shooting.  The Jackets were able to convert 18 Blue Tiger turnovers into 22 points in the game.

Four Yellowjackets scored in double figures.  Wohlers and Cameron Munoz (Sr., Chino, CA) each netted 23 points.  Munoz went 5-of-13 from 3-point range and 6-of-7 from the free throw line.  Wohlers earned a double-double on the day with his 23 points and 11 boards.  Twenty-one of Wohlers points came in the first half.  He went 10-of-13 from the field. 

Windy Boy only needed three points to surpass Dan Retzer to claim fifteenth on the career scoring record list.  He did that easily netting 13 points in the game.  Windy Boy now has 1,118 career points and needs just 51 more to overtake fourteenth place.  Carlin Hughes (So., Perth, Australia) also had a double-double putting away 15 points and 14 assists on the game.

Jones led the Blue Tigers with 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field.  Laye added 12 points and eight rebounds.  The Blue Tigers were missing their leading scorer Titus Byrd who was averaging just over 21 points a game apparently due to eligibility issues. 

The Yellowjackets will travel to Emporia, Kansas, to take on Emporia State for the second meeting this season.  The Yellowjackets downed the Hornets 118-110 back in December.  The game is scheduled for 6 p.m. MST.  Listen live by logging on to the Yellowjacket athletics homepage or tune into 970 KBUL.  Following the game against the Hornets, the Yellowjackets will come back home to Alterowitz to host St. Edward’s January 28.  Tip off is 8 p.m.  Given a St. Edward’s win next week against Lincoln University, the Yellowjackets and Hilltoppers will enter the game even at 5-0 in conference play.