DBU Downs Jackets on Senior Night (2/20/07)
Box Score
Game Photos

BILLINGS, MT – Cold perimeter shooting proved too much to overcome for the Montana State-Billings men's basketball team on Senior Night.  Dallas Baptist bounced back from a close loss on Monday to defeat the Yellowjackets 79-71 on Tuesday.  It was the final home game of the season for MSUB, and Senior Night for Jonathan Wiley (Westlake Village, CA) and Cody Samuelson (Broadus, MT).

The Patriots broke away from a 33-33 halftime tie with a 15-2 run to start the second half.  MSU Billings missed its first 12 shots of the second half to fall behind 48-35.  A Wiley jumper with 12:23 to play gave the Jackets their first field goal of the second half.

The Yellowjackets were able to battle back into the game courtesy of 22 Patriot turnovers, 10 of which came in the second half.  MSUB pulled to within one at 69-68 on a Troy Ruff (Custer, MT) 3-pointer with 1:29 to play.  The Patriots’ Nick Michels answered with a 3-pointer of his own on the next possession, and the Yellowjackets didn’t get closer than three the rest of the way.  DBU was 5-of-5 from the line in the final 30 seconds.

The Jackets’ shooting woes were the difference in the game.  They had 20 more field goal attempts than the Patriots, but made three fewer field goals.  MSUB hit 4-of-19 first half 3-pointers and 5-of-15 in the second half.  For the game the Jackets shot 32 percent from the field and 27 percent from 3-point range.

Wiley finished with 20 points in his final game at Alterowitz Gym.  The fourth-year senior was playing in his 100th game in a Yellowjacket uniform.  Samuelson narrowly missed a double-double, scoring 10 points and grabbing nine rebounds before fouling out.

Ruff and Eric Cunningham (Phoenix, AZ) also scored in double figures for the Yellowjackets.  Ruff netted 13 points, hitting all three of his 3-point attempts before fouling out.  Cunningham added 11 points and four assists before he fouled out.

Michels led DBU with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field.  He scored 35 points in Monday’s loss.  Eddie Gloviak didn’t miss a shot for his 13 points.  He was 4-of-4 from the field and 5-of-5 from the line.

MSU Billings plays its regular season finale on Saturday at St. Edward’s University in Austin, TX.  A win would move the Yellowjackets into a tie with Dallas Baptist for fourth place in the league standings.  In that event, the two teams would meet on Monday, February 26, in a play-in game to determine who goes to the conference playoffs.  A Yellowjacket loss would give DBU the No. 4 seed.