MONMOUTH, Ore. – A 14-0 run midway through the first half shifted momentum in favor of host Western Oregon and the No. 24 Wolves never looked back as they defeated Montana State University Billings 94-74 in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball meeting Thursday evening at the New P.E. Building on the WOU campus.
A balanced scoring effort contributed to the win for the Wolves, as four different players posted double figures led by 17 from Adam Hastings. Lewis Thomas (14), Andy Avgi (13), and Devon Alexander (10) also scored in double digits for WOU, which remained atop the GNAC standings and extended its winning streak to seven games.
For MSUB (4-16, 2-8 GNAC)
Antoine Hosley was the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game with a game-high 23 points on 10 of 17 shooting from the field. Hosley also had five rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Emmanuel Johnson also had a big game for MSUB, with 17 points, a team-best six rebounds, three assists and a pair of steals.
Jace Anderson connected on a three on the first possession of the game, helping MSUB pull out to an early 8-2 advantage in the first half. Hosley knocked down a jumper midway through the period as the 'Jackets held on to the lead at 19-15.
WOU (17-3, 9-1 GNAC) turned the game around with its big run, and Hastings scored the first seven points during the span. Alexander chipped in with a jumper and a layup, and a trey by Thomas capped off the burst and made the score 29-19 with 10:38 before halftime.
Hastings and Thomas started the game a combined 11-for-11 from the field, contributing to WOU's outstanding field-goal percentage of 62.9 on the night. Hastings finished 7-for-9 and Thomas 6-for-7, and each player hit a pair of threes. No Wolf totaled more than five rebounds, as JJ Chirnside led his team with that total on the boards. Julian Nichols picked up 11 of WOU's 19 assists, and added four rebounds, four steals and seven points in 24 minutes.
MSUB cut the deficit to as little as six points on a Hosley layup with 7:55 left before the break, but WOU was able to extend the lead out to double digits with a 51-35 halftime advantage.
The 'Jackets did not threaten the Wolves' lead in the second half, as the deficit hovered in the 20-point range throughout the period.
On the game, MSUB shot 48.4 percent from the floor (30-for-62), and 38.9 percent from 3-point range (7-for-18). The Yellowjackets struggled from the foul line, making 7 of 12 attempts (58.3 percent). Freshman guard
Kendall Denham was 3-for-3 from long distance for nine points, and senior
Tyler Nelson scored eight and had five rebounds.
The teams were nearly even on the boards, with WOU holding a slight 32-31 advantage despite MSUB's 11-6 edge on offensive rebounds. MSUB committed 14 turnovers to WOU's eight, and the Wolves capitalized with 17 points off of them.
The Wolves' biggest scoring advantage came in the paint, where WOU scored 56 points compared with 38 by MSUB. WOU also had a 12-4 edge in fast-break points, and the home team generated nine steals while the 'Jackets had six.
WOU has now won 16 of its last 17 games, and improved to 10-1 at home this season. MSUB leading scorer
Momir Gataric (12.4 ppg) was limited to just two points in six minutes with an injury.
"We saw a really good Western Oregon team tonight," said head coach
Jamie Stevens. "We will regroup and get ready for Saint Martin's, and we are looking forward to competing on Saturday."
NEXT UP: The 'Jackets continue the brief road trip with a Saturday game against Saint Martin's in Lacey, Wash. Tipoff is again scheduled for 8 p.m. Mountain time, inside Marcus Pavilion on the SMU campus.
