Yellowjackets Host Western New Mexico Thursday and Saturday in PacWest Play (January 28, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – The PacWest match-up between MSU Billings and Western New Mexico won’t have quite as many story lines as the Super Bowl had.  But it might come close.

The Yellowjackets have won two in a row and are seemingly back into the PacWest race after stopping a six-game losing skid with wins over Hawaii Pacific and BYU-Hawaii.  The Mustangs are most likely out of the PacWest race after starting the conference schedule 1-5.  However, a much changed Western New Mexico team will enter Alterowitz Gymnasium on Thursday night.

Last Friday, Mustang players unleashed accusations that head coach Joe Mondragon had used racial slurs while addressing members of the team after a loss earlier in the week.  The story hit the Associated Press wires on Friday when ESPN.com reported it.  On Saturday, Western New Mexico officials announced the firing of Mondragon.

Assistant coach Vernon Brazeal has taken over the head coaching duties, at least temporarily, for the Mustangs.  As of Tuesday, there was no word from Western New Mexico officials on whether team members who had left the team because of the incident had returned since Mondragon’s firing.  Which players will be traveling to Billings will be decided by Wednesday, when the team leaves for the two-game road swing.

While the Mustangs try to pick up the proverbial pieces to their season, the Yellowjackets face must-win games if they are to defend their PacWest title.  The Jackets are off to a 2-4 start in conference play, but are coming off back-to-back wins over teams that were ranked in the top six in the West Region.  It will be crucial for MSUB, which won last year’s conference title with a 10-5 record, to even their PacWest mark at 4-4 after the two games with Western New Mexico.

MSU Billings will finish the year with eight players after losing three to season-ending injuries.  Seniors Dan Thompson and Kyle Stirmlinger have carried the load in recent weeks.  Thompson is averaging 16 points a game and scored career-highs in two of last week’s three games.  Strimlinger is adding 12 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.  He has also blocked 20 shots and leads the PacWest in field goal percentage at 64.9 percent.

Junior transfer Justin Hassell is averaging 12 points per game, and true freshman sharpshooter Cameron Munoz is adding 10 per night.  Munoz will be coming off an ankle injury that sidelined him during most of the last two games.  He currently leads the PacWest in 3-point shooting, connecting on 2.92 per game.  As a team, the Yellowjackets are making a PacWest-leading 9.57 three-pointers per game.

Senior guard Willy Davison has taken over the point guard duties for the Yellowjackets and is averaging 4.21 assists per game, fifth-best in the PacWest.  His assists-to-turnover ratio of 1.79 is also fifth-best in the league.

The Mustangs also look to fill the air with long balls, averaging 6.56 three-pointers per game, second-most in the PacWest.  Senior guard Joey Ramirez is second in the league for 3-pointers made at 2.88.  Ramirez averages a team-high 16 points per game and also leads the Mustangs with 3.8 assists per game.  Malcolm Connor and David Walker each average 12 points per game.

Tip-off for both Thursday and Saturday is set for 7:00 p.m.  Both games will be broadcast live on News Radio AM 970 KBUL and on the Yellowjacket Website.  Saturday’s game will also conclude MSU Billings Winterfest activities.  Five new inductees into the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame will be introduced at halftime of Saturday’s game.