BILLINGS, Mont. – Second-year freshman Emmanuel Ajanaku and Carrington Wiggins recorded career-highs and the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team used a second-half push to hand Western Oregon a 77-71 Great Northwest Athletic Conference loss in Alterowitz Gym on Thursday night.
 
Wiggins was the leading scorer once again for the Yellowjackets (6-7, 2-1 GNAC), finishing with a MSUB-career-high 25 points on 10-for-18 shooting. Meanwhile, Ajanaku scored 10 of his 17 points in the second half as the 'Jackets kept beating Western Oregon (3-8, 2-1 GNAC) inside. The Wolves couldn't get much offense aside from Cameron Cranston's game-high 35 points – 23 of which came in the first half – but the 'Jackets tightened up their defense in the second half and put him in check.
 
"I thought we defended Cameron Cranston a lot better in the second half," MSUB head coach Mick Durham said. "He had 25 points a few years ago, so he obviously likes playing in this gym. But Western Oregon lives off three pointers, they finally missed a couple. We're a little better defensively than that, but we ran into a team that started off the game so hot – especially Cranston."
 
"Tonight was good," Durham added. "Western Oregon is a team that's kind of had our number lately, so it was nice to get a win here."
 
Ajanaku, who had flirted with double-doubles on several occasions this season, broke through on Thursday with his 17 points and 13 rebounds – the latter of which was the best by a MSUB freshman since Preston Beverly grabbed 13 rebounds in an 84-80 win at Saint Martin's on Feb. 18, 2016. Additionally, his 7-for-7 shooting was the most made field goals without a miss by a 'Jacket since Melvin Newbern finished 8-for-8 against Central Washington on Jan. 15, 2019.
 
"I felt pretty good," Ajanaku said. "I came in trying to produce and fight on defense. All thanks to my teammates too, who kept pushing me. It was a good game for me."
 
"My coaches keep pushing me and telling me no one can guard me in this league," Ajanaku added. "So I keep playing to those expectations and I keep going hard."
 
As a whole, MSUB shot 15-for-23 in the second half and held Western Oregon to connecting on 38.7% of its field goals in that same span.
 
QUICK HITS

• MSUB finished with three scorers in double-figures: Carrington Wiggins (25 points), Emmanuel Ajanaku (17 points and Damen Thacker (15 points). Thacker also tied the game-high with seven assists.
• Emmanuel Ajanaku was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for his 17 points, and game-high 13 rebounds. He also shot 7-for-7 from the field.
• Cameron Cranston led the way for the Wolves with 35 points on 12-for-20 shooting. His nine made threes were a school record.

 
Two free throws from Western Oregon aside, the 'Jackets sprung out to a 9-2 lead in the first four minutes. Wiggins started off hot, scoring in bunches and trading key baskets with Cameron Cranston whenever MSUB needed an answer. Damen Thacker quickly racked up five assists as MSUB built its lead, connecting with Emmanuel Ajanaku when Durham turned to his bench. Bilal Shabazz's layup with 14:15 to go put MSUB up 15-5 – which would be the team's largest of the night.
 
Yet Cranston didn't cool off. The 6'6" guard came off ball screens and relocated around the perimeter for a slew of threes, nearly putting the 'Jackets on their heels. MSUB, meanwhile, took a more balanced approach and got an early boost from its bench. Brent Finn and Ajanku checked in with 13:40 to go and scored the 'Jackets next five points.
 
Wiggins, to his credit, finished with 14 points in the first half – including two back-to-back threes as he and Cranston battled it out late in the first half. MSUB clung to a one possession lead until Shabazz's layup put the 'Jackets up 33-29 with four minutes to play. Wiggins' final basket of the half put MSUB up 35-31 with 2:18 left, yet the Wolves closed out the half with two threes to take a 37-35 lead.
 
Coming out of the break, Thacker found his rhythm after sinking two free throws, then proceeded to score eight of MSUB's first 10 points in the second half. Yet Western Oregon found offensive production elsewhere and the Wolves threatened to break the game open with five made threes in the first 10 minutes of the half.
 
Western Oregon led by six points with 9:32 to go, but ultimately, MSUB's second-half defense was the difference. Shabazz keyed in on Cameron Cranston, helping limit one of the GNAC's best scorers in the second half, plus the 'Jackets forced the other Wolves to beat them, which was only effective in spurts.
 
Ajanaku, meanwhile, didn't cool off in the second half. He continued rolling in the second half, finishing contested layups at difficult angles, stepping out for floaters in the paint and either scoring or assisting on nine-straight MSUB points as the 'Jackets pulled within one, 62-61, with 6:44 to play.
 
Although both teams played a relatively clean game and committed only 22 turnovers on the night, MSUB forced three-straight Western Oregon turnovers in the span of 1 minute and 13 seconds that sealed the deal. Finn sank a floater over Western Oregon's center to give MSUB a 63-62 lead. Thacker tracked down a loose ball that ended in another easy Ajanaku bucket. The next possession, Ajanaku tracked down a missed three for an easy putback. Wiggins scored on back-to-back possessions, then Thacker skied up for a layup to put MSUB up 75-66 with 1:26 to go.
 
"I thought our guys were really strong-willed," Durham said. "That spurt late with a couple minutes to go where we broke the game open was unbelievable. We got a few steals, got a few easy hoops and held on at the end."
 
And although the Wolves clawed back within one point twice, the 'Jackets didn't relinquish the lead. Two free throws from Wiggins closed out the game, but also broke his previous MSUB best of 24 points.
 
"We've been trying to get our defense together," Ajanaku said. "When we lost on a buzzer-beater to the fourth-ranked team in the nation, Coach Durham kept telling us to believe in our defense and keep fighting. This win means a lot to us. We just beat a team that was 2-0 [in GNAC play] and now we're both 2-1." 
 
With the win, MSUB moves into a four-way tie for second with its 2-1 record in GNAC play; Simon Fraser, which is 1-0, leads the league. Tonight's game was the only GNAC men's game played, as three other games were postponed due to coronavirus concerns.
 
"It was good to get back," Durham said. "We hope to continue to play – I know everyone in our league wants to play right now – and it's great to get a game in after two-and-a-half weeks away. Hopefully we can get another one in on Saturday."
 
KEY STATS

• The 'Jackets outrebounded Western Oregon by a 40-26 margin. This is the ninth time all season the Yellowjackets have won the rebounding battle.
• Eight of the nine Yellowjackets to log minutes scored, and MSUB got 29 of its points off the bench thanks to the aforementioned Ajanaku, Bilal Shabazz (seven points) and Brent Finn (five points).
• MSUB's 50.8% field goal percentage was its best mark of the season.

 
UP NEXT: MSUB hosts Saint Martin's this Saturday at 5:15 p.m. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at msubsports.com.