BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team used a big second half to earn a 72-61 comeback victory over Saint Martin's University Thursday night at Alterowitz Gym, continuing to stake their claim to the top of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.
The Yellowjackets (13-4, 7-0 GNAC) and Saints (13-3, 5-1 GNAC) came into tonight's game as the only two remaining teams undefeated in GNAC play. With a chance to build a little breathing room between the rest of the field, both teams came ready to play. The Saints entered halftime up by eight points. The Yellowjackets refused to yield though, outscoring one of the top offenses in the conference 44-25 in the second half, to extend their winning streak to five games.
Carrington Wiggins led all scorers with 22 points, shooting 7-for-16 along with six rebounds, five assists, and two steals.
Bilal Shabazz completed a double-double, putting in 17 points and pulling down 14 boards.
Steven Richardson added 14 points and six rebounds, while
Jalen Tot scored 14 points.
The first half was an even affair, with the Saints shooting 34.3 percent and the Yellowjackets shooting 32.4 percent. The difference was that Saint Martin's was better from beyond the arc, with the visitors draining eight threes, topping the Yellowjackets' five. Saint Martin's also took advantage of second chance points, using their seven offensive rebounds to outrebound the 'Jackets 30-18.
The second half is where the Yellowjackets' shooting began to heat up. MSUB shot 50 percent from the field over the last 20 minutes of play, and 40 percent from three. They limited a high scoring Saints team to just two 3-pointers. And they did it in style, bringing the game home with a flurry of dunks and huge shots.
Tyke Thompson was the only Saints player to finish in double digits, scoring 17 while collecting eight rebounds. Behind him, Hunter Sipe and Champ Spencer each finished with nine points. Jaden Nielson-Skinner had a team high eight assists.
THE BUZZ: Shabazz was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game…his double-double tonight was his sixth of the season…Wiggins raised his points per game average on the season to 17.9, ranking second in the GNAC…the 'Jackets are now 17-19 all-time against the Saints…MSUB is off to its best start since the 2005-2006 season, where the 'Jackets went on to finish 20-8 overall and second in the GNAC.
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets finish out the week's slate of games with a matchup against Western Oregon University, with the game scheduled for 4:15 p.m. at Alterowitz Gym.
