BILLINGS, Mont. —Making its return to the court after a 12-day pause, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team mounted a comeback against the visiting Alaska Anchorage Seawolves, but fell 68-61 on Thursday night.
 
"I thought Alaska Anchorage was the tougher team tonight from the start," MSUB head coach Mick Durham said. "I liked how we competed, got back into the game and gave ourselves a chance. We needed this game to learn and continue to get better, but the game cancelations have hurt everyone's game growth."
 
The Yellowjackets (7-9, 3-3 GNAC) fell behind the Seawolves (8-3, 8-1 GNAC) early in the first half, but chipped away and cut Alaska Anchorage's lead to one point with 3:28 to go. Yet the Seawolves went on an 8-0 run late to put the game away.
 
Damen Thacker led the way for MSUB with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. Carrington Wiggins finished in double-figures for the fifth-straight game with 12 points. Bilal Shabazz added 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists – the latter two figures were team-highs. Malik Brikat rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points.
 
QUICK HITS

• Alaska Anchorage led for all but 4 minutes and 44 seconds.
• MSUB committed 17 turnovers to UAA's 12.
• Bilal Shabazz was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for sparking MSUB's second-half rally and finishing with 11 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
• Tobin Karlberg led the way for the Seawolves with 23 points.

 
The Yellowjackets worked the ball inside to start the game. Malik Brikat went to work on the low block, scoring six of MSUB's first eight points to help the 'Jackets to take an early 8-6 lead.
 
From there, however, the Seawolves came back with a 10-0 run over the next 2 minutes and 50 seconds to take a 16-8 advantage. Carrington Wiggins found the scoring column with a jumper in the lane, then Emmanuel Ajanaku nearly brought down the rim with a dunk on the next possession. MSUB kept pace with Alaska Anchorage with Bilal Shabazz making his first field goal of the night, then Damen Thacker seaming a bounce pass to a cutting Brikat, who made it a 19-16 game with 9:41 to go.
 
But the 'Jacket offense went cold. MSUB went nearly five minutes without a field goal as the Seawolves pulled ahead 24-18. Nicholas Sebastiao and Ajanaku provided the final points for MSUB in the first half as they entered the locker room trailing 29-22.
 
Coming out of halftime, Alaska Anchorage forced back-to-back turnovers and scored on its first two possessions of the second half to lead 34-22. Brikat briefly stopped the bleeding, opening the second half just like he did in the first with a hook shot. Wiggins was fouled on a made put-back then converted the bonus to make it a 37-27 game, but a 7-0 run from the Seawolves gave the visitors their largest lead of the night.
 
Then Shabazz went to work. The junior forward went on a personal 5-0 run – first with a floater and then with a three – which gradually turned into an 11-0 run for the 'Jackets. Thacker made four-straight free-throws, then another basket from Shabazz capped off the run before Alaska Anchorage made a three, but the 'Jackets didn't lose momentum. With 6:41 to go, Wiggins made his first three of the night, cutting Alaska Anchorage's lead to 47-45.
 
Yet Wiggins and Thacker couldn't be kept down for the whole game. As the second half intensified, the upperclassmen backcourt made it a one-possession game twice in the final four minutes. An Ajanaku steal led to another basket by Wiggins to make the score 54-51 with 3:47 left. Then Wiggins stripped an Alaska Anchorage player along the sideline, heaved the ball ahead to Thacker, who absorbed a big hit on the way to the basket to make it a one-point game.

The 'Jackets couldn't get closer. An 8-0 run from the Seawolves put the game out of reach – all despite nine late points from Thacker and Wiggins to close the game. ­
 
KEY STATS

• MSUB shot 4-for-10 from three in the second half after going 0-for-7 in the first half.
• Alaska Anchorage scored 17 points off 17 MSUB turnovers in the physical, defense-heavy battle.
• The 'Jackets made all nine of their second-half free throws during their comeback attempt.
• MSUB outrebounded the Seawolves by a 34-27 margin.

 
UP NEXT: The 'Jackets stay home to play Alaska on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The game will be televised on SWX, but livestream and live stat links can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at msubsports.com.