West Liberty Tops Jackets in Home Opener (12/16/06)
Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – Swarming full court pressure and six players in double figures lifted West Liberty State to a 103-85 win over Montana State-Billings on Saturday afternoon at Alterowitz Gym.  The Hilltoppers scored 35 points off 29 Yellowjacket turnovers to improve to 6-2.  West Liberty was the top scoring team in NCAA Division II last season.  MSUB dropped its home opener for the first time since 1998 to fall to 0-5.  The last time the Jackets lost a home opener was November 19, 1998, to Albertson College, 103-100.

After Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse hinted during the week that the MSUB would try to slow the pace of the game, the Yellowjackets came out of the gates firing.  They hit four 3-pointers in the first 3:45 to jump to an 18-10 lead.  Freshman guard Jeff Miner (Gresham, OR) knocked down three 3-pointers during that span and made five of his first six attempts from behind the arc.

“We did plan on trying to get a lead and then be more patient,” said Carse.  “From the primary ball handler standpoint we had trouble with their pressure.  We had the prospects of being patient, but we didn’t plan to hold it like we did at St. Mary’s because of the type of pressure West Liberty puts on.”

The Hilltoppers answered with unrelenting full court pressure.  They had nine first half steals and forced the Yellowjackets into 19 turnovers in the first 20 minutes.  A fast break layup by Ben Howlett gave West Liberty a 23-21 lead with 12:57 to play in the opening half.  The Toppers built that lead to as many as 19 late in the first half.

MSUB was able to trim the deficit to 11 by the break and got to within six in the first four minutes of the second half.  A Cody Samuelson (Broadus, MT) layup pulled the Jackets to within 67-61, but a three and a half minute stretch without a Yellowjacket field goal allowed the Hilltoppers to open the lead back to double digits.

“I move Jonathan (Wiley) to the point, and we quit turning the ball over,” said Carse of the Jackets’ halftime adjustments.  “The shots were there; it was just a matter of making them.  Late in the game I think we got fatigued.  It was hard to get a rhythm.  On the road we’ve been able to find a rhythm in games, but we couldn’t today.  I thought we did a good job in Texas with our zone defense in the second half.”

After MSU Billings used the zone to battle back and cut the lead to 10 with six and a half minutes to play, West Liberty closed the game with a 16-8 run.  The Hilltoppers shot 51 percent from the field in the game to the Jackets’ 42 percent. 

Chris Banal’s 23 points led six Hilltoppers in double figures.  He was 9-of-16 from the field and 3-of-6 from behind the arc.  Shane Maynard added 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting despite spending long stretches on the bench with foul trouble.  Scott Mirich scored 14 points off the bench in relief of Maynard.  Howlett finished with 13 points, Mike Mathey had 11, and Corey McDuffie had 10.

The Yellowjackets were paced by Miner’s game-high 24 points.  He was 9-of-26 from the field and 6-of-18 from 3-point range.  Wiley (Westlake Village, CA) and Ammar Harknell (Stockholm, Sweden) each had 15 points.  Harknell came off the bench to grab 13 rebounds for the double-double.  Carl Johnson (Rapid City, SD) had a career-high 12 points on 5-of-6 shooting.

The Yellowjackets continue their current home stand next Wednesday and Thursday when they host Northwest Nazarene University.  MSUB lost to the Crusaders 88-74 on December 2 in Nampa, ID. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. both nights at Alterowitz Gym.