Yellowjackets Pull Away from Chaminade for Seventh Straight Win (February 13, 2003)

BILLINGS, MT – Justin Hassell scored a season-high 29 points Thursday night to lead MSU Billings over Chaminade 97-83 in PacWest Conference action.  Hassell connected on 6-of-11 field goal attempts and 17-of-22 from the free throw line as the Yellowjackets won their sixth conference game in a row and their seventh overall.  MSUB improved to 13-6 overall and 6-4 in the PacWest.  Chaminade fell to 9-12, 4-5.

The Silverswords started sending the Yellowjackets to the line intentionally at the 2:56 mark of the second half after they had rallied to within five points at 81-76.  Hassell was the beneficiary of a number of those fouls, making 7-of-10 between 2:32 and 00:32. 

Chaminade opened the game with a 7-0 run, holding the Yellowjackets scoreless until the 16:41 mark of the first half.  Hassell was fouled going to the basket and made both free throws to give MSUB its first points of the game.  Although that slowed the bleeding for the Yellowjackets, it didn’t stop it.  The Swords held the lead until 9:01 of the half and led by as many as eight.

The Yellowjackets slowly climbed back into the game behind the inside game of Kyle Stirmlinger and the three-point shooting of their perimeter players.  Stirmlinger scored seven points over a six minute stretch and the Jackets dropped in three critical three pointers to erase the Silverswords’ lead.

Both defenses created trouble for the opposing offense during the final nine minutes of the first half.  The Yellowjackets forged a 39-38 halftime lead as the two teams combined for just 17 points over the final 5:47 of the half.

MSUB opened the second half with a Dan Thompson three pointer, and then went inside to Stirmlinger.  The senior center’s basket in the paint pushed the Yellowjacket lead to 51-42 at 15:14.  Willy Davison found Hassell on the break on the next possession to extend the lead to double-digits.

Cameron Munoz’s jumper from the elbow at 10:01 gave MSUB an 11 point lead at 67-56.  Over the next 1:46, the Silverswords cut the lead to three.  Bryon Sykes scored four straight points on a pair of free throws and a jumper.  Roy Stigall then hit a mid-range jumper and a three-pointer to cut the lead to 68-65. 

The MSUB lead fluctuated from three to five over the next five minutes until Chaminade started fouling.  The Silverswords substituted offense for defense to foul over the final three minutes in hopes that the Yellowjackets would miss from the line.  MSUB was 13-of-17 over that span.

Stirmlinger finished the game with 24 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots.  Munoz connected on 4-of-9 from behind the arc for 17 points.  He also handed out six assists.  Thompson added 10 points, and Davison had seven assists.

The Silverswords were paced by Stigall’s 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting.  Leon Ballard made 8-of-11 from the free throw line and finished with 16 points. 

The Yellowjackets will host Hawaii-Hilo on Saturday.  The Vulcans (15-6 overall, 7-2 in the PacWest) are a half game out of first place after sweeping two games in Western New Mexico this week.  The game tips-off at 7:00 p.m. and can be heard live on News Radio 970 AM.