Yellowjackets Win PacWest Finale (Mar. 3, 2005)
Box Score

SILVER CITY, NM – Montana State-Billings won the last-ever Pacific West Conference men’s basketball game Thursday night, 80-68 at Western New Mexico.  The Yellowjackets finished in third place in the PacWest at 19-8 overall and 9-6 in the conference.  The Mustangs lost for the twelfth straight time to finish at 7-21 overall and 1-14 in the PacWest.

Both MSU Billings and Western New Mexico are moving to the Heartland Conference beginning next year.  Thursday’s game was the last in the history of the PacWest Conference.  The four remaining PacWest teams in Hawaii will play as NCAA Division II independents next year.

“It was a great evening for MSUB with the ladies and the guys both winning,” said Yellowjacket coach Craig Carse.  “Both teams supported each other tonight, and it was nice to be able to travel together.  The kids in these last few games have done a tremendous job.  We shot the ball well in the second half.  To win 11 of our last 13 games, our guys represented themselves well.  Western New Mexico was inspired and well prepared tonight.  They played well and didn’t lie down.  It was a wonderful win for us.”

MSU Billings had to rally from a dismal first half.  The Mustangs raced to a 18-6 lead to open the game.  Matt Enriquez scored 17 first half points to lead WNMU to a 37-27 halftime lead as the Jackets’ offense stalled.  Cameron Munoz (Jr., Chino, CA) made three first half 3-pointers, but MSU Billings hit just 7-of-26 from beyond the arc in the half. 

The game was a tale of two halves as the Jackets’ offense erupted for 53 points in the second half.  MSU Billings quickly cut into the Mustangs’ lead in the first three and a half minutes of the second half, pulling to within 44-36 on a Carlin Hughes (Fr., Perth, Australia) basket.  With just over 12 minutes to play, Justin Hassell (Sr., Brooklyn, NY) made the front end of two free throws to draw MSUB to within five at 47-42.

The Jackets rebounded Hassell’s missed free throw and Munoz drained a 3-pointer to pull MSUB within two at 47-45.  Munoz connected from 3-point range on the next two possessions to give the Yellowjackets their first lead since the opening moments at 51-49.

A Rusty Carter 3-pointer for Western New Mexico gave the Mustangs a 58-57 lead with seven and a half to play.  Munoz answered with another 3-pointer and the Mustangs never recovered.  MSU Billings used the momentum from Munoz’s run to propel them to a 53-point second half.  The Jackets outscored the Mustangs by 22 in the second half, holding WNMU to just 31 points.

Munoz led the Yellowjackets with 28 points, hitting eight 3-pointers.  He finishes his junior campaign with 1,268 career points and 304 career 3-pointers.  He is ninth in school history for points scored and second for made 3-pointers.  In his senior season, he will be chasing the school record of 1,883 points and 371 three-pointers.  Munoz scored 510 points with 111 three-pointers this year

Hassell posted his eleventh double-double of the season with 23 points and 14 rebounds.  He was 9-of-17 from the field and five of his boards came on the offensive end.  Hassell led the PacWest in rebounds and double-doubles this year and ranked fourth for scoring. 

Buddy Windy Boy (Jr., Lodge Grass, MT) added 13 points, nine rebounds and three 3-pointers.  The Yellowjackets were 15-of-42 from 3-point range in the game.  Freshman Drew Arnold (Tempe, AZ) also pulled down nine boards to go with two points.  Hughes finished with nine points and eight assists and averaged over six assists a game this season.

The Mustangs were led by Enriquez’s 29 points.  He was 9-of-11 from the line and 9-of-17 from the field.  Carter added 12 points, and Adam Grimes finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds.