BILLINGS, Mont. — Despite a late barrage of threes from Nicholas Sebastiao, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team fell 70-68 to Saint Martin's in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference contest on Saturday night.
 
"It was a tough loss at home," MSUB head coach Mick Durham said. "We battled all the way back and took the lead but didn't finish it. We just didn't execute in the last two minutes with our three turnovers."
 
"I'm excited we were able to get both games in this weekend, and we'll learn from this," Durham added.
 
The Yellowjackets (6-8, 2-2 GNAC) had a 68-64 lead with three minutes to go, but the Saints (9-3, 2-1 GNAC) scored six points while MSUB went 0-for-3 down the stretch. Saint Martin's guard Alex Schumacher's elbow jumper with 14 seconds to play proved to be the game-winner.
 
Damen Thacker was MSUB's leading scorer with 14 points and he also notched four assists and three rebounds. Carrington Wiggins and Nicholas Sebastiao also chipped in 13 points apiece.
 
QUICK HITS

• Saint Martin's connected on 45.5% of its field goals, while MSUB made 44.8% from the field.
• MSUB went 6-for-12 from three in the second half after shooting 3-for-11 in the first.
• Saint Martin's out-rebounded MSUB by a slim 35-33 margin.
• Nicholas Sebastiao was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for filling the stat sheet to the tune of 13 points, eight rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals.
• Alex Schumacher led the way for the Saints with 20 points and six assists.

 
Nicholas Sebastiao opened the scoring on MSUB's first possession on the game, Damen Thacker hit free throws and Malik Brikat made back-to-back buckets to help MSUB take an early 8-1 lead. But Saint Martin's cut MSUB's lead to one point on two occasions before the first media timeout. Both times the Saints' pulled through, however, Carrington Wiggins countered with two corner threes to put the 'Jackets in front 18-12.
 
Wiggins didn't cool off. The junior guard made his first three three-point attempts in the first half, then hit double-figures after sinking a pair of free-throws with 13 minutes to go to put MSUB up 23-12. At the same time, MSUB's defense stymied Saint Martin's high-powered offense. The 'Jackets forced six first-half turnovers while only committing one of their own.
 
The Yellowjackets' offense wavered late in the first half, but the team caught a break when Thacker drew contact on a three, which led to three made free-throws from the GNAC's most accurate free-throw shooter. One empty possession from the Saints later, and the 'Jackets made it a 30-22 game when Jimmy Brown dribbled into the paint and made an uncontested jumper. Yet that would be MSUB's last field goal for nearly six minutes.
 
Saint Martin's would take a 31-30 lead with 42 seconds to go in the half before Thacker crossed up his defender and sank a midrange jumper on MSUB's final possession. But the Saints scored on their final possession to take a 34-32 halftime lead.
 
Like he had in the first half, Sebastiao opened the scoring in the second half, tying the game at 34 with a layup. Although the Saints responded by making three of their first five threes in the half, the Yellowjackets' hung around with six-straight points from their bench to pull within five, 45-40. With 14.5 minutes to go, Sam Elliott scored on an inbounds play to make it a one-possession game, yet the Saints threatened to break the game open with five-straight points from Alex Schumacher.
 
Every time the Saints wanted to pull away late, MSUB countered with threes of their own. Elliott answered the call first, sinking a straightaway three to make it a 56-54 game, then Sebastiao kicked off his late flurry of baskets with a corner three. With 6:25 to go, Brent Finn drove baseline and kicked out to Sebastiao in the corner, who sank a three in front of MSUB's bench, firing up the 'Jackets. Thacker's three with 5:29 left put MSUB up 63-62 – its first lead of the half – which kickstarted a mini, 6-0 run. Sebastiao's third-straight make from distance put the 'Jackets up 66-62, then the second-year freshman found Wiggins for a layup to make the score 68-64 with 3:05 to play.
 
Then everything unraveled.
 
Two turnovers in the final 2:04, then a 6-0 run from Saint Martin's doomed the 'Jackets. Schumacher hit an elbow jumper with 14 seconds left to put Saint Martin's ahead 70-68, but MSUB couldn't score on the final possession.
 
UP NEXT: The 'Jackets have a brief intermission before their next home game against Seattle Pacific next Saturday, Jan. 15 at 7 p.m. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at msubsports.com.