Yellowjackets Upset Hilltoppers to Earn Split (2/11/06)
Box Score

AUSTIN, TX – The Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team used a late rally to defeat St. Edward’s University, 82-79, Saturday night.  The win gave MSU Billings a two-game split in Austin and improved the Yellowjackets to 16-4 overall.  The Hilltoppers, ranked fifth in the NCAA South Central Region, fell to 17-6.  The two teams leave the weekend tied atop the Heartland Conference standings at 7-1.

St. Edward’s led for much of the game until the final six minutes.  MSU Billings led for a total of about five minutes in the first half and then fell behind by as many as nine in the second half.  Starting with 6:16 remaining, Jonathan Wiley (Jr., Westlake Village, CA) made four-straight free throws to give the Yellowjackets their first lead of the half, 71-70.  MSU Billings never trailed again.

A key moment in the game came with 2:45 to play.  Carlin Hughes (So., Perth, Australia) missed a runner in the lane, but Cody Samuelson (Jr., Broadus, MT) followed with a put back and drew a foul.  Samuelson converted the three-point play to give the Jackets a 78-72 lead.

The Hilltoppers climbed back to within one on a Daniel Pierre three-point play in the paint with a minute and a half remaining.  Hughes made four free throws down the stretch and the Yellowjackets dodged a David Lunn 3-point attempt at the buzzer.  Hughes was 10-of-11 at the free throw line.

Four Yellowjackets scored in double figures led by Lucas Walker’s (So., Launceston, Australia) 16 points.  Hughes, Moritz Wohlers (Sr., Wolfenbuttel, Germany) and Cameron Munoz (Sr., Chino, CA) each scored 15.  Samuelson finished with nine off the bench, and Wiley and Buddy Windy Boy (Sr., Lodge Grass, MT) scored six apiece before each fouled out.

The Hilltoppers were led by Pierre’s 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting from the field.  Lunn finished with 19, and Shawn Weinstein added 14.

The Yellowjackets return to Heartland Conference action on Wednesday, February 15, when they host University of the Incarnate Word at Alterowitz Gym.  That game against the Cardinals will be the first of three games in four days to close out the home portion of the regular season.  The Jackets host St. Mary’s University on February 17 and 18 in their final home games of the season.  Saturday’s game against the Rattlers will also be senior day for Munoz, Wohlers, and Windy Boy. 

MSU Billings wraps up the regular season with games at Oklahoma Panhandle State and Western New Mexico.  The Yellowjackets will also likely have a home Heartland Conference playoff game on March 1.  The top four teams in the conference qualify for the playoffs.  The No. 4 seed will play at the No. 1 seed and the No. 3 seed will play at the No. 2 seed on March 1.  The two winners will meet for the conference championship on March 4 at the home of the higher seed.  The winner of the conference playoffs receives the Heartland’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.