Yellowjackets Pull away from No. 6 BYU-Hawaii for
Ten-Point Win (January 18, 2003)
BILLINGS, MT – Dan Thompson’s
game-high 27 points led MSU Billings to an 89-76
PacWest Conference win over first-place BYU-Hawaii
Saturday night. The Yellowjackets won their second
PacWest game of the year to improve to 8-6 overall,
2-4 in the PacWest. BYU-Hawaii, ranked No. 6 in the
West Region, loses for just the second time this
season to fall to 9-2, 3-1.
Thompson scored 14 points in
the first half to offset the Seasiders’ 53% field
goal percentage in the opening 20 minutes. Reigning
PacWest Player of the Year Alexus Foyle netted 18
first-half points to pace BYU-Hawaii. Foyle was
9-of-14 in the first half as MSU Billings forged a
37-36 advantage at the break.
MSU Billings opened a
seven-point lead in the first 3:30 of the second
half as the Seasiders came out cold from the floor.
A Dan Thompson bucket sandwiched between two Willy Davison 3-pointers pushed the Jackets’ lead to 10 at the
15:05 mark. MSU Billings stretched its lead to as
many as 14 before the Seasiders could rebound.
After back-to-back baskets by
Thompson and Kyle Stirmlinger put MSUB ahead 57-43 with 13:44 left, BYU-Hawaii was
able to cut the lead to eight. Lynn Spencer’s
3-pointer with 12:34 remaining made the score
12:34. The lead see-sawed until the Seasiders went
on a 5-0 run between 9:00 and 7:10. Scott Salisbury
made the front end of two free throws to cut the
Jackets’ lead to three at 65-62.
That was as close as BYU-Hawaii
would get for the rest of the game as MSU Billings
pushed the lead back to 11 on a Thompson 3-pointer
with 4:19 remaining. Fast-break baskets by Joe Cook and
Stirmlinger around the two minute mark put the game
out of reach as BYU-Hawaii was forced to foul.
Stirmlinger finished with a double-double, scoring
18 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Davison added
14 points and eight assists. Bill Day had
10 points to go with 9 rebounds.
BYU-Hawaii was led by Foyle’s
23 points, only five of which came in the second
half. Salisbury finished with 19 points and seven
rebounds. Freshman point guard Shawn Opunui had six
points and eight assists.
MSU Billings will be idle next
week while BYU-Hawaii hosts Hawaii Pacific on
Friday. |
