LAS VEGAS – Coming up just short on Sunday evening at South Point Arena, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team endured a 59-55 setback against Angelo State University in the finale of the Holiday Hoops Classic.
 
Jalen Tot nailed a 3-pointer with just 41 seconds left, pulling the score to 57-55 as the Yellowjackets moved within a single bucket of the Rams. But Kevon Godwin made a pair of crucial free throws with eight seconds left and a last-ditch three by Bilal Shabazz at the buzzer missed to bring the game to a close.
 
The shortfall for the Yellowjackets came after the team trailed by nine at halftime and as much as 11 during the second half, as MSUB rallied to get as close as it could down the stretch. The 'Jackets slipped to 8-4 with the defeat, while Angelo State moved to 8-2 on the season.
 
Shabazz led MSUB in scoring with 14 points and rebounding with seven, while adding three assists in one of his most productive games of the season. Carrington Wiggins and Abdul Bah reached double figures with 10 points apiece, with Wiggins leading the team with five assists and adding four rebounds and a steal in 34 minutes of work. Steven Richardson scored five points and added five rebounds, while Jalen Tot scored eight and Emmanuel Ajanaku added five points and three boards.
 
Godwin led Angelo State with 16 points and seven rebounds, and Barlow Alleruzzo matched him with seven rebounds on a night where ASU out-boarded MSUB 42-31. Reggie Quezada had 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds, while Tre Mitchell scored nine and Willie Guy had seven points and five boards.
 
Angelo State came out hot with an 8-0 start in the game, and never let the lead slip on its way to a 32-23 halftime advantage. The lead crested at 12 points when Alleruzzo connected on a trey at the 7:15 mark, and MSUB managed to shoot just 29.2 percent (7-for-24) in the opening 20 minutes of play.
 
The Yellowjackets improved drastically in the second half, shooting 42.9 percent the rest of the way, but couldn't overcome the slow start on a night where they shot 36.5 percent overall (19-for-52). MSUB made 10 of 28 threes (35.7 percent), and knocked down 7 of 11 free throws (63.6 percent). The Yellowjackets committed 17 turnovers on Sunday, matching their third-highest total of the 2022-23 campaign.
 
Angelo State meanwhile shot 37.1 percent overall (23-for-62), while making just 5 of 22 threes (22.7 percent). The Rams also made 8 of 9 free throws (88.9 percent), and limited their turnovers to 12 in the game. ASU out-scored MSUB 22-18 on points in the paint, while MSUB held a 17-16 advantage in points off turnovers and an 18-11 advantage in points off the bench.
 
THE BUZZ: Shabazz was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…MSUB is now 1-1 all-time against Angelo State with both games being played at neutral sites.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: The 'Jackets are off for the better part of two weeks for the holiday break, with their next games coming at home against Central Washington on Dec. 29 and Northwest Nazarene on New Year's Eve. The return of Great Northwest Athletic Conference play can be viewed live online here.