BILLINGS, Mont.- The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team (7-4) came out on top vs the St. Mary's University Rattlers (4-5) at the Ocean Center for the Daytona Beach Shootout. "Proud of the fight from our guys against a very talented St. Mary's team" said head coach
Luke Fennelly. "That is one of the best rebounding teams we will face all year and outrebounding them was a sign of the grit we possess."
The Yellowjackets leaned on offensive production shooting almost 55 percent from the field, over 46 percent from beyond the arch, and nearly 65 percent from the line. The 'Jackets outmatched the Rattlers in almost every category across the board and held a lead for 38:19 out of 40 total minutes in the game. "I'm most proud of we stayed calm and shared the ball tonight," said Fennelly. "We had 18 team assists and took high percentage shots which lead to our success and ultimately a team win."
The 'Jackets opened the first half with the first points of the game in the Ocean Center after a
Steven Richardson free-throw, and a
Zharon Richmond three-pointer to put MSUB ahead 4-0. Richmond started a deep ball trend as
Bryce Whitaker and
Daniel Moody followed with a pair of triples themselves, extending the Yellowjacket lead to six heading into the first media timeout. Halfway through the first half of play the 'Jackets amassed their largest lead of the game 23-14 behind Moody who led both teams in points will 11. The Rattlers didn't shy away from the electric MSUB offense as they went on a late 8-0 run to bring their deficit to four. After a hot offensive start for the 'Jackets the remainder of the half was a back-and-forth battle heading into the half with a score of 40-34 in favor of the Yellowjackets.
The 'Jackets started the second half just as they did in the opening half, scoring on their first four possessions with three of them from beyond the arch. At the 16:27 mark Richmond hit his second triple of the half, followed by a Richardson dunk to help the Yellowjackets take their largest lead of the night at 15. Just before the hallway point in the second half MSUB continued to outscore the Rattlers going on a 9-0 run and giving them a 20-point lead. This run was led by Moody who had been dominant all night, posting 21 points and 7 rebounds at this point in the game. The Rattlers again fought back going on a 10-0 run of their own and bringing their deficit within single digits with just six minutes left in the game. Both teams traded punches from there, but the Yellowjackets were able close it out, winning the game 81-72.
KEY PERFORMANCES:
Zharon Richmond – 15 PTS (6-11 FG, 3-5 3PT), 4 REB, 4 AST
Bryce Whitaker – 14 PTS (4-8 FG, 4-7 3PT), 2 REB, 5 AST
Steven Richardson – 9 PTS (3-5 FG, 1-2 3PT), 3 REB, 1 AST, 1 STL, 1 BLK
Beni Fungula – 7 PTS (2-3 FG, 1-1 3PT, 2-2 FT), 3 REB, 1 AST
THE BUZZ: Daniel Moody was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after tallying 24 points (10-16 FG, 2-3 FT), 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team stays in Florida for another cross-country matchup against the host team of the Daytona Beach Shootout, the Rollins College Tar.
