Box Score
HILO, Hawaii – The Montana State University Billings' men's basketball team picked up a 67-61 win over Western New Mexico University in the opening game of the Naniloa Volcanoes Resort Thanksgiving Tournament Monday.
The Yellowjackets (2-1) were led by
Jarrell Crayton's game-high 19 points. The senior finished 7-for-13 from the field.
David Arnold added 10 points for MSUB.
Robby Trabing and
Cameron Cusworth combined for 16 rebounds, with both grabbing eight. The GNAC-leader in assists,
Kalob Hatcher, dished out a game-high five assists.
Montana State Billings was outshot, as WNMU finished 39.2 percent from the field, while the Yellowjackets were 39 percent. MSU Billings had a 38-37 rebound advantage. MSUB made its last field goal with 2:59 left in regulation, but hit key free throws in the final minutes. Hatcher finished 6-for-6 from the free-throw line.
The Mustangs held MSU Billings to 22 percent shooting from behind the perimeter. WNMU made six of its 20 three-point attempts. As a team, MSUB made 15 of its 24 free-throw attempts, compared to the Western New Mexico's 15-for-20. The Mustangs also had a slim 10-8 assist advantage. Montana State Billings committed a season-high 19 turnovers, but forced 25 WNMU turnovers.
“I'm proud of how our guys fought in the second half,” MSUB head coach
Jamie Stevens said. “It was just one of those games where we couldn't make shots. Our defense kept us in the game, and probably won it for us. With our style of basketball, if we don't make shots, it's difficult to win. Maybe it was the nine hours of traveling yesterday that caused us to be so cold, but we don't make excuses. We just have to go out and play.”
Western New Mexico jumped out to a 12-5 lead to open the game. MSU Billings answered with an 11-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 16-14 lead. With the Yellowjackets leading 22-17 with 8:22 left in the first half, the Mustangs had their own run ready, coming back with a 6-0 spurt with Ryan Crane starting the rally with a jumper. After the teams tied at 27 at the 4:43 mark of the first half, WNMU dominated the rest of the half, and took a 34-28 lead into halftime.
The Mustangs started the second half on a 7-4 run, including a 5-0 stretch, to give WNMU their largest lead, 39-30 with 18:31 to go in the game. Trailing 41-32, the Yellowjackets scored the next nine points to tie the game at 41. MSUB continued its momentum and took a 47-44 lead with 10:49 remaining in regulation.
The game's seventh and final tie, 53-53, came at the 6:27 mark of the second half. Montana State Billings slowly pulled away in the final six minutes, making a decisive 12-5 run in the final six minutes.
Western New Mexico was led by Juan Suarez and Brelan Berry. Both finished with 13 points. Andy Sohlich added 12 points for the Mustangs (0-2). Chad Carter had a game-high nine rebounds. Merle Branch threw five assists. WNMU led by as many as nine points just into the second half.
The Yellowjackets play Maryville University (Mo.) in the third game of the tournament Tuesday at 5 p.m. Hawaiian Time. The Saints (2-0) and MSU Billings meet for the first time. The matchup will have live video available for $6 through MSUBSports.com. Live stats are available for free on MSUBSports.com.
MSUB – WESTERN NEW MEXICO POSTGAME NOTES
• It was the 33rd meeting between MSU Billings and WNMU.
• The Yellowjackets have a 26-7 lead in the all-time series.
• It was the first meeting on a neutral court between the teams.
• MSUB improved to 13-0 when it outrebounds opponents under
Jamie Stevens.
• The win marked only the fifth time in 15 games that the Yellowjackets have rallied to a victory when trailing at halftime under Stevens.
• It was the first road game of the regular season for Montana State Billings.
Newspaper Box Score
MSU Billings vs Western New Mexico
11/19/12 5:00 pm at Hilo, HI
At Hilo, HI
MSU BILLINGS 67, WESTERN NEW MEXICO 61
MSU BILLINGS (2-1)
Crayton,Jerrell 7-13 5-10 19; Arnold,David 3-11 2-3 10; Ridgeway,Brian 3-7
0-0 9; Hatcher,Kalob 1-2 6-6 8; Wallace,Devon 3-3 1-1 7; Trabing,Robby 3-6
0-0 6; Cusworth,Cameron 2-8 1-4 5; Johnson,Sam 1-6 0-0 3; Nelson,Tyler 0-0
0-0 0; Hook,Jimmy 0-1 0-0 0; Desin,Danny 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 23-59 15-24 67.
WESTERN NEW MEXICO (0-3)
Brelan Berry 5-7 3-5 13; Juan Suarez 3-4 6-8 13; Andy Sohlich 4-11 0-0 12;
Lucio Luttrell 3-11 2-2 9; Chad Carter 2-11 1-1 5; Daryl Littleton 2-2 0-0
4; Merle Branch 0-4 3-4 3; Ryan Crane 1-1 0-0 2; Chad Arechiga 0-0 0-0 0;
Nate Murdock 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-51 15-20 61.
MSU Billings.................. 28 39 - 67
Western New Mexico............ 34 27 - 61
3-point goals--MSU Billings 6-27 (Ridgeway,Brian 3-7; Arnold,David 2-8;
Johnson,Sam 1-3; Cusworth,Cameron 0-5; Desin,Danny 0-2; Hatcher,Kalob 0-1;
Crayton,Jerrell 0-1), Western New Mexico 6-20 (Andy Sohlich 4-11; Juan
Suarez 1-2; Lucio Luttrell 1-4; Chad Carter 0-3). Fouled out--MSU
Billings-None, Western New Mexico-None. Rebounds--MSU Billings 38
(Cusworth,Cameron 8; Trabing,Robby 8), Western New Mexico 37 (Chad Carter
9). Assists--MSU Billings 8 (Hatcher,Kalob 5), Western New Mexico 10 (Merle
Branch 5). Total fouls--MSU Billings 18, Western New Mexico 16. Technical
fouls--MSU Billings-None, Western New Mexico-None. A-60
Naniloa Volcanoes Resort Thanksgiving Tournament