LACEY, Wash. - The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team (12-5) fell just short to the #3 team in the nation (NABC Coaches Poll) the Saint Martin's University Saints (15-1) with a final score of 69-63.
"We got a taste of championship basketball and I'm proud of our guy's grit in a tough environment," said head coach
Luke Fennelly. "All you can ask for is a chance at the end and we certainly did."
Almost every category was head-to-head with both teams looking evenly skilled. The only category the Saints dominated was bench points (25-14) and proved to be the difference in the game.
Jalen Tot let the way for the Yellowjackets scoring 24 points and shooting 50 percent from the field and beyond the arch.
Ky Kouba also had a notable performance with a near double-double off the bench. The 'Jackets defense held up strong against a powerhouse offense but was not enough to come away with the victory.
"Give Saint Martin's the credit, they played tough and didn't make very many mistakes," said coach Fennelly. "The guys fought until the very end, and we are looking forward to playing them at our place."
The 'Jackets started out slow in the first half, missing their first three attempts until
Jalen Tot got them on the board with a corner three-pointer. The next five minutes was back-and-forth with both teams showcasing why they are the top two teams in the GNAC. The Saints then went on a 10-0 run, gaining the momentum of their large home crowd. Despite the Saints outrebounding and causing five turnovers already, the 'Jackets were able to score a couple crucial buckets and tie the game up at 14. Both teams continued to trade punches for the remainder of the half with the Saints heading into the locker room with the 27-25 lead.
Second half started out where the first half left off, with both teams locking it down on defense. The First 2 minutes of the half only had two points scored both by Saint Martin's. Not until the 15:27 mark were the Yellowjackets able to make up the ground they lost and bring their deficit back to just two points behind Tot and
Zharon Richmond. The Saints then opened it up when Tyke Thompson hit back-to-back-to-back triples to give them their largest lead of the night with 11. The 'Jackets did their best to make up ground after multiple buckets by
Ky Kouba, but the Saints were making it difficult by matching every point.
At this point in the game, you would think the game was over, until the Yellowjackets came storming back on a 14-5 run to bring it back within one possession. The three-point ball game was going to come down to the final three minutes with the Yellowjackets down but with the Saints in foul trouble the bonus could be the difference for MSUB. The three-point game continued until just under a minute left the Saints hit a layup, followed by a free-throw on the next possession to seal the win. The nail-biting matchup was everything we hoped to see but the Saints came out victorious with a 69-93 win over the Yellowjackets.
KEY PERFORMANCES:
Daniel Moody – 12 PTS (6-7 FT), 9 REB, 3 AST, 2 STL
Ky Kouba – 12 PTS (5-7 FG, 2-2 3PT), 9 REB, 1 AST
Zharon Richmond – 7 PTS, 7 REB, 2 AST, 1 BLK
THE BUZZ: Jalen Tot was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting 24 points (9-18 FG, 6-12 3PT), 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team stays on the road as they head down to Monmouth, Oregon to take on the Western Oregon Wolves on January 20
th at 4:15 PM (PST).
