LACEY, Wash. – The Cardiac 'Jackets posted yet another game of the decade, coming back from a 17-point deficit in the second half and forcing two overtimes but were unable to come out victorious. The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team fell 101-100 to the #1 Central Washington Wildcats in double overtime in the GNAC Tournament Semifinals and will wait to see if they're selected as one of the top eight teams in the west region to move onto the NCAA Tournament.
The Yellowjackets, who had slim hopes of postseason play earlier in the season, finished out the regular season and GNAC Tournament strong, winning 10 of their final 13 games. Their accomplishments include their first GNAC Tournament win since 2012, a total of 21 wins—the most since the 2001-02 season—and a third consecutive 20-win season, a first for the program in the GNAC era. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the team posted its first 100-point performance since 2018 and played its first overtime game since 2021.
HEAR FROM COACH FENNELLY: "Another unbelievable effort from our guys, our offensive execution was good, but we found ourselves on our heels too much defensively. Regardless, the guys stuck it out together and found a way to make it a game which is all you can ask for this late in the season. The ball didn't bounce our way but that happens. Proud of the tremendous heart this team showed not only tonight, but the entire season. Go 'Jackets."
What looked to be a disappointing loss with seven minutes left to play and Central Washington with a 17-point advantage, the 'Jackets amounted one of the most impressive comebacks to force not one but two overtimes. The Yellowjackets put on one of their best offensive performances of the season, outshooting the Wildcats 58-49 percent from the field and 46-29 percent from beyond the arc while dishing out 21 team assists.
Leading the charge offensively was
Kael Robinson, who poured in 30 points, shooting 13-21 from the field. He also grabbed nine rebounds, dished out three assists, and made both free throws to force overtime.
Brendon Johnson and
Cooper Dewitt each contributed 20 points. Dewitt's 20 was a career-high, coming in the most critical game of the season. Johnson shot 7-10 from the field, including a perfect 4-4 from three-point range, and added five rebounds, three assists, and two steals.
Jalen Tot also scored 18 points, while his twin brother
Jajuan Tot chipped in 10 points and five assists.
FIRST HALF
The Wildcats came out strong, opening with a 6-2 run in the first two minutes. The Yellowjackets answered quickly, going on a 10-0 run to take a 12-6 lead at the 14:45 mark. MSUB extended its lead to eight, its largest of the game, after Dewitt scored five consecutive points. However, Central Washington responded with a 9-0 run to regain a one-point advantage. The teams traded baskets for the next eight minutes until the Wildcats finished the half with a 15-8 run, heading into the break with a 46-39 lead.
SECOND HALF
The first nine minutes of the second half saw the Wildcats extend their lead to 17 points at the 11:47 mark. But the Yellowjackets responded with a 5-0 run, sparked by a layup from
Jalen Tot and a three-pointer from Johnson. Although Central Washington briefly pushed their lead back to 17 with 7:04 left, Robinson hit a clutch three-pointer to ignite another 11-2 run, cutting the deficit to single digits. With 90 seconds remaining, the Wildcats held a 10-point lead, but MSUB went on a final 12-2 run, capped by two clutch free throws from Robinson to send the game into overtime.
OVERTIME
The Wildcats started the first overtime similar to the first two half's, quickly gaining a six-point edge to make it a 94-88 ballgame. From there, Johnson got the Yellowjackets on the board with a contested jumper, followed by a layup from Robinson to cut their deficit to just two points. There was no action in the final two minutes until Robinson tied it up at 94 with two seconds left on the clock to send it to double overtimes.
In what turned out to be the final five minutes of play, it was a cat and mouse performance. After a quick triple from CWU their was no action until the 2:28 mark when Robinson made it a one-point ballgame. In the following possession, the Wildcats were able to run off 1:37 second off a pair of clutch offensive boards. From there, Central hit a pair of free throws followed by a jumper from Johnson to keep it a one-point game with eight seconds remaining. In the final seconds CWU made two more free throws and Robinson was able to put home another bucket, but it was not enough, and the Wildcats went on to win 101-100.
STATISTIC LEADERS
POINTS: Kael Robinson (3);
Cooper Dewitt (20);
Brendon Johnson (20)
REBOUNDS: Kael Robinson (9);
Brendon Johnson (5)
ASSISTS: Jajuan Tot (5);
Jalen Tot (4)
STEALS: Brendon Johnson (2);
Jalen Tot (2)
BLOCKS: Cooper Tyson (1)
THE BUZZ: Kael Robinson was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting 30 points on 13-21 with nine rebounds, three assists, and one steal.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team's fate is in the hands of the NCAA Rankings Committee. Coming in at 10
th spot in this weeks rankings, the Yellowjackets will wait to see if they are one of the eight teams in the west region that will move onto the NCAA Tournament.
