Jenkins’ Desperation Trey with .3 Seconds Left Dooms Yellowjackets, 80-79

Box Score

FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A 27-foot, banked 3-pointer by Alaska Fairbanks’ Emmanuel Jenkins with 0.3 seconds left lifted the Nanooks to an 80-79 victory over Montana State Billings Saturday evening.  With the loss, the Yellowjackets fall to 9-13 on the year and 4-7 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.  The Nanooks improve to 6-13 overall and 3-7 in conference play. 

Senior Michael Hall led the way for the Yellowjackets with 20 points as five MSUB players scored in double figures.  Junior Derrick Wright had 17 points and nine rebounds, while juniors Mario Burns and Brad Hodge each had 12 points and senior Travis Bunker chipped in 10. 

Jenkins led all-scorers with 29 points including the game winner 3-pointer.  Nashorn Maynard added 20 points and 11 rebounds, while Colin Matteson also had a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. 

The Yellowjackets shot 28 of 61 from the field for 46 percent.  MSUB was 7 of 19 from downtown and 16 of 22 from the charity stripe.  Conversely, UAF was 32 of 71 from the field and 7 of 21 from beyond the arc.  The Nanooks were 9 of 14 from the line, but won the battle of the boards, 42-37.

The game was played close throughout the first half until MSUB ended the half on a 9-4 run for a 37-31 lead at halftime.  Hall led the way for the Jackets in the first half with 12 points and MSUB shot 38 percent from the field.  Maynard had 12 points for UAF as it shot 45 percent from the field in the first half.

MSUB opened the second half scoring 19 of the first 32 points to build a 56-44 lead with 12 minutes left.  A jumper by Jenkins with just over five minutes left cut the deficit to eight, but Bunker nailed a triple to put the Yellowjackets back up 11 moments later. 

That’s when UAF went on its decisive run to close the gap.  The Nanooks cut it to five with 2:55 left before Hall hit the final field goal of the game for the Yellowjackets with 2:39 left.  From then on, UAF outscored the Yellowjackets 13-6 down the stretch.

Despite not making a field goal in the final 2:39, MSUB did make the majority of its free throws.  However, two costly misses in the final 12 seconds came back to haunt the Yellowjackets as Bunker missed an opportunity to put the Yellowjackets up five with 12 seconds left.  Jon Moe hit two free throws with eight seconds left to pull the Nanooks to within two points at 79-77. 

On the ensuing Yellowjacket possession, Burns was fouled by Maynard with six seconds left and missed the free throw which fell into the arms of Matteson who passed to Jenkins for the game winner over two defending Yellowjackets.

The Yellowjackets return home looking to snap a four-game skid next Saturday at 7:30 p.m. against Saint Martin’s in the second game of a doubleheader on Hall of Fame Weekend.