Yellowjackets Pull away for Win over Ohio Valley (Nov. 26, 2004)
Box Score

BILLINGS, MT – The Yellowjackets shooters were on when they needed to be Friday night as Montana State-Billings pulled away for an 88-73 win over Ohio Valley College.  Guards Cameron Munoz (Jr., Chino, CA) and Buddy Windy Boy (Jr., Lodge Grass, MT) combined for all 12 of the team’s 3-pointers to help MSU Billings improve to 2-0.  The Fighting Scots fell to 0-5.

“I think tonight showed that we still need to play,” said head coach Craig Carse.  “This was just our second game and Ohio Valley was playing their fifth game.  I thought our guys responded well.  We obviously still need to build depth.  We’re inexperienced and we just need to play games.”

The Fighting Scots used four Yellowjacket turnovers in the first five and a half minutes to take a 13-11 lead.  Derrick Whiteside scored six of his team-high 29 points during that opening stretch.  His dunk and 3-point play at 14:43 gave OVC the two-point lead that proved to be its final lead of the night. 

Munoz followed Whiteside’s 3-point play with his first 3-pointer of the night from about five feet behind the arc.  Munoz’s second three—from just a little further out—at the 12:40 mark gave MSU Billings a seven point lead.  The Yellowjackets built the lead to as many as 13 before settling for a 12-point edge at the break.  Munoz dropped in four 3-pointers in the opening half and scored 15 points.

“I’m proud of Cameron and Buddy for the way they played and stayed on the court,” added Carse.  “They played hard.”

Munoz and Windy Boy played 39 and 40 minutes respectively.  Munoz came out of the game only briefly when he was shaken up in a collision away from the ball. 

The Yellowjackets nearly put the game out of reach in the first five minutes of the second half.  A Munoz 3-pointer at 15:58 and a Windy Boy 3-pointer at 15:01 gave MSU Billings its largest lead of the night at 59-41.  For the game, Munoz was 8-of-15 from 3-point range and Windy Boy was 4-of-11.

On the ropes with 15 minutes remaining, the Fighting Scots battled back to cut the lead to single digits by the second media timeout of the second half.  Chris Cobbina’s 3-point play on a layup and a free throw at 9:23 pulled OVC to within 68-60.  Cobbina finished with 20 points in the game.

In just three possessions, the Yellowjackets built their lead back to 15.  A pair of Munoz 3-pointers sandwiched around a Lucas Walker (Fr., Launceston, Australia) dunk gave MSU Billings a 79-64 advantage.  Ohio Valley wasn’t able to cut the lead to less than 11 the rest of the way.

Munoz finished the night with a game-high 33 points on 11-of-19 shooting from the field.  He also handed out six assists.  Walker scored 24 points and led the team with nine rebounds.  He was 10-of-16 from the field and 4-of-5 from the line.  Windy Boy scored 17 points and Justin Hassell (Sr., Brooklyn, NY) added 11.

MSU Billings and Ohio Valley will meet again on Saturday at Alterowitz Gym.  Tip off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. 

Click HERE for photos of the Yellowjackets vs. OVC