LACEY, Wash. – Upending the No. 13 team in the country on Saturday at Marcus Pavilion, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team edged Cal State San Marcos 68-64 at the Saint Martin's Crossover.
 
The Yellowjackets, who were picked to finish third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference preseason coaches poll, improved their record to 2-0 to start the 2022-23 season. "I really liked our approach after winning yesterday afternoon and getting ready to go this morning at 10 a.m.," said MSUB head coach Mick Durham after the team's tight turnaround. "We were better at handling the ball in the second half and that helped, after committing 11 turnovers in the first. Our defense was very good in the second half, and it was the best we have rebounded. We played 10 guys today and they all brought contributions to the win."
 
Steven Richardson and Carrington Wiggins played step in step, propelling the 'Jacket offense forward in the game. Richardson scored 20 points to lead all scorers, and Wiggins' 19 was just behind him. The two 'Jackets each shot over 50 percent from the field and combined for 57 percent of MSUB's offensive output. Bilal Shabazz had 12 points for MSUB, and Emmanuel Ajanaku had 10 rebounds and two blocks, controlling the paint defensively.
 
MSUB started hot, jumping out to a 12-2 lead to begin the game. But it wouldn't take long for San Marcos to show why they were ranked to begin the season. The Cougars battled back and took the lead by the end of the first half, up 36-33 at the break. While CSUSM made just one more basket than the Yellowjackets, they made half of their 3-point attempts in the half, while MSUB went 2-for-10 from deep.
 
The second half kicked off with the teams trading baskets, MSUB trying to find its way ahead. They'd find that breakthrough shot with 11:27 left, when a Richardson 3-pointer began an 11-3 run over the next four minutes to go up by nine, their largest lead of the half. MSUB saw off a late Cougar comeback when a Shabazz steal swung momentum late, preventing CSUSM from making it a one-shot game.
 
The Yellowjackets shot 45.1 percent overall in the game (23-for-51), 26.3 percent from 3-point range (5-for-19), and made 17 of 21 free throws (81.0 percent). The Cougars by comparison shot 46.4 percent (26-for-56), while making 7 of 19 threes (36.8 percent) and 5 of 7 foul shots (71.4 percent).
 
Despite committing 17 turnovers in the game, the Yellowjackets made up for it by dominating the glass to the tune of 35-24. Richardson and Wiggins each had six rebounds, and Shabazz added five to go along with a team-high five assists.
 
THE BUZZ: Richardson was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…the Yellowjackets are now 1-2 all-time against the Cougars…Saturday marked MSUB's first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 31, 2016, when the 'Jackets knocked off No. 19 Western Washington 100-93.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets return to Billings for a meeting with crosstown rivals Rocky Mountain College, with the first iteration of this season's Rimrock Rivalry tipping off on Tuesday, November 15 at 7 p.m. in the Fortin Center. A live stream will be available here and live stats will be available here.