The Retort

Yellowjackets Fly Past Alaska Fairbanks, 75-58

February 19th, 2010 by MSUB Athletics For The Retort

The Montana State Billings men’s basketball team ended its three-game skid with a 75-58 victory over visiting Alaska Fairbanks on February 3 at Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets were led by 17 points off the bench from Brett Taylor, 12 points and 12 rebounds from Brad Hodge and 13 points from Derrick Wright. The Nanooks had just one player in double figures as Emmanuel Jenkins scored 15 points with a game-high seven assists.

“I thought the first six or seven minutes when they went into a zone we played out of sorts and we didn’t settle down,” head coach George Pfeifer said. “When Brett came into the game and provided us with a shooting punch, we stretched the zone out. I thought Derrick (Wright) settled down in the second half and Brad Hodge played a great game with 12 points and 12 rebounds.”

The Yellowjackets (10-7, 4-4 GNAC) matched their win total from a year ago and overcame a very slow start beginning the game 1 for 7 from the field. MSUB shot 48 percent for the game on 26 of 54 from the floor, including a 52 percent output in the second half. In addition, the Yellowjackets tallied a season-high 12 3-pointers going 12 of 27 from distance for 41.7 percent.

The Nanooks (6-11, 1-7 GNAC) got off to a quick start, but shot just 39 percent in the first half of 13 of 33. For the game UAF was 26 of 64 from the field for 40 percent. The Nanooks were 5 of 18 from deep and went to the line just one time in the game, while the Yellowjackets were 11 of 16 from the charity stripe.

UAF opened an early 13-2 lead courtesy of seven early points from Jenkins just six minutes into the game. MSUB committed six early turnovers during the first six minutes, too. Wright hit a jumper with 12:30 left in the first half that seemed to spark the Yellowjackets as Taylor began to heat up from deep.

Taylor hit two big triples to bring the Jackets to within six on two different occasions over the next four minutes. Lasha Parghalava got into the act with a triple giving MSUB its first lead of the game at 21-20 with 6:11 remaining in the half. Parghalava added another 3-pointer moments later to give MSUB the lead again at 24-22 with 5:32 left. Taylor then hit back-to-back triples and Wright got into the act from long range as MSUB built an 11 point advantage at 33-22 with three minutes left in the half.

Since the 10:37 mark on a layup by Bo Edwards for an 18-9 Nanook lead, the Yellowjackets went on a 24-4 run.

The Nanooks cut the deficit to five to close the half with a triple from Jon Moe and a Jenkins layup for a 34-29 score. Taylor had 14 points in the half on 5 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from deep for MSUB. Jenkins had 11 points for UAF.

MSUB came out of the gates on fire in the second half and swelled the lead to 13 points on a triple from Mike McCrary. Kyle Smith of UAF cut the deficit to 10 on a triple moments later, but the Nanooks would get no closer.

The Yellowjackets would build the lead to as many as 22 on two occasions and settled for the 75-58 victory.

MSUB closed out the three-game home stand and headed on the road. The Yellowjackets returned to Alterowitz Gymnasium to begin the final four home games of the year against Northwest Nazarene on February 18.

“When we approach this road trip, we need to settle down and make plays and play with some spirit and passion and if we do that I think we will have some success,” Pfeifer added.