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Jackets Drop OT Heartbreaker (12/21/06)
Box
Score
BILLINGS, MT – Montana
State-Billings had its first victory of the season slip away in
the final seconds of overtime Thursday night, falling 90-89 to
Northwest Nazarene. After losing by 20 to the Crusaders on
Wednesday at Alterowitz Gym, the Yellowjackets gave up a lead in
the final 10 seconds of regulation and again in the final five
seconds of overtime to lose their seventh-straight game to start
the season.
An
Ammar Harknell 3-pointer gave MSU Billings an 89-87 lead
with 24 seconds to play in overtime. The Crusaders (5-6) moved
the ball around the Yellowjackets’ 2-3 zone, and with five
seconds on the clock, Marcus Clift drove the right side of the
lane and kicked to Justin Parnell in the right corner for an
open look 3-pointer. Parnell knocked it down, his fifth three
of the game, to put the Crusaders ahead by a point. The
Yellowjackets pushed the ball down court without taking a
timeout, and
Jeff Miner missed wide on a 3-point try as time expired.
“They hit a big shot,” said
Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse of the Crusaders. “We came
down and had a shot. That’s two times this year that we’ve had
that situation. They’re going to hit those shots. What they
went through last night and the way they bounced back tonight,
it’s going to come for them.”
“We didn’t call timeout
because we were trying to let the guys see things. I think
sometimes when you let the other team set their defense, it’s a
little more difficult. We hit a shot to take the lead; we did
everything we needed to do to win it. They hit the shot and it
just didn’t happen for us. We’ll pick our heads up and realize
the effort and growth we’re having.”
The Yellowjackets forged a
33-30 halftime lead, almost identical to their 31-28 lead at the
break the night before. In the second half and overtime,
neither team led by more than four. There were six ties and a
dozen lead changes in the second half, and another three ties
and five lead changes in the extra period.
At the end of regulation, one
of
Tom D’Amore’s three 3-pointers gave MSUB a 76-74 lead with
1:50 to play. The teams traded a free throw apiece over the
next 1:35. After the Jackets’
Jonathan Wiley missed the back end of two free throws with
15 seconds left, the Crusaders’ Louie Beech found an opening
down the left side of the lane, scoring on a lay-up to tie the
game. Miner missed a desperation shot as time expired, sending
the game into OT.
Offensively, it was the
highest-scoring game of the season for MSU Billings. They
entered the night averaging just 64 points a game. Five
different players scored in double figures for the Jackets, led
by Wiley’s career-high 30 points. He was 8-of-13 from the field
and 13-of-14 from the free throw line. Wiley took over the
Jackets’ offense in overtime, scoring their first nine points.
Cody Samuelson netted a career-high 20 points with 11 coming
in the second half. He was an efficient 9-of-11 from the field
and grabbed nine rebounds. Harknell finished with a dozen
points, D’Amore added 11, and Miner had 10. Miner also had a
season-high nine assists.
MSUB shot 53 percent from the
field and was 10-of-21 from behind the arc. Northwest Nazarene
shot 49 percent from the field, but made three more field goals
and six more 3-pointers.
The Crusaders’ Tim Ireland
came off the bench to score 22 points and hit six 3-pointers.
Clift finished with a double-double of 20 points and 10 assists,
including the dish that set up the game winner. Parnell had 17
points, and Beech netted a dozen off the bench.
“This will make us better
basketball players and a better team,” said Carse. “These kids
understand the discipline of our program. They’re taking
responsibility, and their maturity is growing all the time. I’m
proud of them; they’re coming together.”
The Yellowjackets will try for
their first win of the season when they open Heartland
Conference play on December 30 at home against Oklahoma
Panhandle State. The game will be part of a doubleheader with
the women’s team and is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m. |
