Jackets Win Again in Texas (1/14/06)
Box Score

SAN ANTONIO, TX – For the third time in four days Saturday, the Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team picked up an important road win in Texas.  The Yellowjackets defeated defending Heartland Conference champion St. Mary’s, 90-80.  The win was the sixth-straight for the Yellowjackets, who improved to 11-2 overall and 4-0 in the Heartland Conference.  The Rattlers fell to 7-9 overall and 1-2 in the conference.

MSU Billings, the leading 3-point shooting team in NCAA Division II, stole the show from behind the arc beginning with their very first play of the game.  Sophomore Carlin Hughes (Perth, Australia) knocked down a three just 22 seconds into the game and the Jackets went on to make 16 as a team.

Unlike the two wins against Incarnate Word earlier in the week, the Rattlers were willing to run with the Yellowjackets for most of the night.  That suited the Yellowjackets guards; Hughes, Cameron Munoz (Sr., Chino, CA) and Buddy Windy Boy (Sr., Lodge Grass, MT) combined for 14 of the 16 triples and 58 points.

“Those three really played well,” said Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse of his guard trio.  “They shot the ball well, and when we can shoot the three we’re pretty good.  Moritz (Wohlers) and Lucas (Walker) also did a good job, and Jonathan Wiley (Jr., Westlake Village, CA) helped us off the bench.  We’re still not as good as we can be, but if feels good to win three games on the road.”

The game was close throughout, but the Yellowjackets rarely trailed.  They led almost the entire first half—by as many as nine at the midpoint—before St. Mary’s managed its first lead of the game on its final two possessions of the half.  A lay-up by Joe Allen that beat the buzzer sent the Rattlers into halftime with a 45-43 lead despite trailing for all but a few seconds in the half.

Wohlers (Sr., Wolfenbuttel, Germany), Munoz and Walker (So., Launceston, Australia) combined for six points to start the second half and regain the lead for the Yellowjackets at 49-47.  MSU Billings never trailed again in the game.  As close as St. Mary’s could get was 56-55 with 13:18 remaining.  Three-pointers from Munoz, Windy Boy and Walker opened the lead to seven by the 9:00 mark.

Beginning with Windy Boy’s 3-pointer at 11:01, six of the Jackets’ final 10 field goals were from behind the arc.  The 3-point differential in the game (16 for MSU Billings, 6 for St. Mary’s) accounted for the exact differential in the final score.

Hughes led all Yellowjackets with 23 points.  He was 5-of-7 from 3-point range and also handed out six assists.  Windy Boy also knocked down five 3-pointers, finishing with 15 points and three assists.

Munoz scored 20 points, connecting on 4-of-9 from long range and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.  He also had five rebounds.  Wohlers finished with 17 points and eight rebounds, and Walker added 13 points and nine boards.

The Rattlers were led by Joe Allen’s 27 points.  He was 11-of-18 from the field and 5-of-12 from the free throw line.  He also had a game-high 11 rebounds.  Jarvis Lee had 16 points before fouling out late, and Steve Goff scored 15 points off the bench with four 3-pointers.

The Yellowjackets return to action next Saturday and Sunday when they again play on the road.  They will play a Heartland Conference game at Lincoln University in Jefferson City, MO, on Saturday afternoon followed by a non-conference game at Emporia State in Emporia, KS, on Sunday evening.  Both games will air on AM 970 in Billings and on the internet at www.msubillings.edu/athletics.