Jackets Drop HLC Game at Incarnate Word (2/10/07)
Box Score
 

SAN ANTONIO, TX – After trailing by six at the half, the Montana State-Billings men’s basketball team was downed 75-69 by University of the Incarnate Word Saturday in a Heartland Conference counter.  The Jackets fell to 4-19 overall and 3-7 in the league while the Cardinals moved into the number one spot in the conference standings at 14-9 overall and 8-2 in the Heartland.

Playing without their top scorer Jeff Miner (Gresham, OR), who is out for the remainder of the season due to an injury, the Yellowjackets were able to keep the game close through the first half of play.  Incarnate Word’s stingy defense and steady shooting helped build a double-digit lead with 3:39 remaining in the opening half.

Two blocked Cardinal shots by Ammar Harknell (Stockholm Sweden) and baskets by Jonathan Wiley (West Lake Village, CA) and Cody Samuelson (Broadus, MT) brought the lead back to seven.  A 3-pointer by Russell Steplight (Olympia, WA) with seven seconds left in the half sent the Jackets to the locker room trailing by six.

Lay-ups by Samuelson and Carl Johnson (Rapid City, SD) to open the second half cut the Cards’ lead to two, but Incarnate Word was able to grow their lead to a dozen on a 3-pointer by Pierce Caldwell with 5:05 left to play.  The Cardinals continued to power their way to a 19-point lead and the win despite a 5-0 run by the Yellowjackets to close the game.

“It was a very physical game and we missed some key shots under the basket,” said Yellowjacket head coach Craig Carse.  “We played good basketball and played hard tonight.  I am proud of the team’s effort.”

Wiley led the Yellowjackets with 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and was 6-of-10 from the charity stripe.  He also grabbed seven rebounds and had four steals.  Steplight netted 13 points connecting on 4-of-13 from the field and 2-of-3 from long range.  Samuelson grabbed a team-high 13 boards and added nine points.  Eric Cunningham (Phoenix, AZ) also had nine points and posted a career-high five steals.

The Yellowjackets shot 33 percent from the field on 22-of-66 shooting and connected on 6-of-23 attempts from the perimeter.  They were 15-of-25 from the line for an even 60 percent in the game.  The Jackets were out-rebounded 41-40 but had 12 steals to the Cardinals one.

Caldwell led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 7-of-11 from 3-point range.  Jason Gant recorded a double-double with 13 points and 15 rebounds.  Antario Williams and Paul Connolly added 14 and 12 points respectively.

The Cardinals were 24-of-53 from the field while picking up 39 of their points from 3-point range hitting 13-of-23.  They were 18-of-23 from the charity stripe.

The Yellowjackets host University of Texas-Permian Basin (7-12) in a non-conference game Saturday, February 17 at Alterowitz Gymnasium.  The Jackets wrap up their home schedule against Dallas Baptist University (9-13, 5-5) February 19 and 20.  Monday night’s game will be a conference counter while Tuesday will be an in-region game.