Yellowjackets Cruise on Senior Night (2/18/06)
Box Score                 Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team knocked down 16 three-pointers in a 107-76 Senior Night win over St. Mary’s (TX) Saturday night.  The Yellowjackets, ranked fifth in the latest NCAA South Central Region poll, improved to 19-4 overall.  The game was the last regular season home game for seniors Cameron Munoz, Buddy Windy Boy, and Moritz Wohlers.  The Yellowjackets will host at least one Heartland Conference playoff game.

Despite the runaway win, the mood at Alterowitz Gym was somewhat somber after sophomore forward Lucas Walker (Launceston, Australia) was knocked down on a dunk attempt by Rattlers forward Cody Spring.  Spring, who was called for an intentional foul on the play, pushed Walker just as Walker’s hands reached the rim for the dunk.  The momentum of Spring’s shove combined with Walker’s grasp of the rim flipped Walker upside down, landing hard on his head.  He was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent Healthcare where he was admitted.  (Note: It was learned Sunday that Walker will miss the remainder of the season because of injuries sustained in this incident.)

At the time of Walker’s injury the Yellowjackets were trailing 20-18.  The Yellowjackets responded with a scoring barrage sparked by five-straight 3-pointers.  Munoz (Chino, CA) started the run with a 3-pointer at 10:28.  Walker’s fellow Australian Carlin Hughes (So., Perth, Australia) then dropped in three 3-pointers in span of two and a half minutes to give the Yellowjackets a 34-23 lead.

MSU Billings built its lead to 19 by halftime, 57-38.  Hughes had 21 points and six assists in the first half.  Munoz and Wohlers (Wolfenbuttel, Germany) combined for another 29 points in the half.  The Yellowjackets blew the game open early in the second half, eventually leading by as many as 40.

Hughes scored 28 points and dished out 14 assists in the game.  He was 5-of-11 from 3-point range.  Wohlers netted a game-high 29 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the field.  Munoz dropped in seven 3-pointers for the second night in a row, scoring 26 points.  He now has 435 career 3-pointers, within eight of the all-time NCAA Division II record of 443. 

Windy Boy (Lodge Grass, MT) added 14 points and three 3-pointers.  Jonathan Wiley (Jr., Westlake Village, CA) grabbed six rebounds off the bench, adding two points.  Drew Arnold (So, Tempe, AZ) chipped in four points and Cody Samuelson (Jr., Broadus, MT) had three points and five boards.

Joe Allen led the Rattlers with a double-double of 25 points and 10 rebounds.  Jarvis Lee made three of the team’s six 3-pointers and scored 17 points.

The Yellowjacket will play their final three regular season games on the road starting February 22 at Oklahoma Panhandle State.  MSUB wraps up the season with two games at Western New Mexico next Friday and Saturday.

By virtue of Friday’s conference win over the Rattlers, the Yellowjackets clinched at least one Heartland Conference home playoff game.  That game will be played at Alterowitz on March 1.  The conference championship game will be played March 4 at the higher remaining seed from the semifinal round.