LACEY, Wash. – Junior forward Tanner Omlid posted his ninth double-double and the guard duo of senior Evan Garrison and junior Ali Faruq-Bey each finished with 15 points as the Wolves used an 8-0 run in the second half to defeat Montana State Billings, 72-61, in the quarterfinals of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships. The Wolves advance to the semifinals with a 17-12 record while the Yellowjackets' season ends with a 14-15 record.
 
Omlid was 7-of-15 from the floor and a perfect 7-of-7 from the foul line for 22 points while adding 11 rebounds for the Wolves. He tied the GNAC Championship record with four steals, a mark he now shares with five other players.
 
MSUB's Jace Anderson tied the game at 38-38 with a layup, but an Omlid steal lead to an Isaiah Edwards fast break lay-up to spark the deciding run. Omlid scored the next four points and Faruq-Bey pushed the lead to eight, 46-38, but the Yellowjackets didn't surrender after trimming to four before Malik Leaks and Omlid each connected from close in.
 
JJ Chirnside pulled down eight rebounds and matched the conference tournament blocked shots record with four for the night.
 
Fouls plagued WOU early in the first half, but opportunity came knocking for Garrison who scored 13 of his career-best 15 points in the first half with two assists. His lay-up under the five-minute mark of the first half put the Wolves up by five, 30-35. Chirnside stopped four-straight MSUB points with a bucket to give Western a 32-29 lead at half.
 
The Yellowjackets erased an early seven-point deficit in the second half before the Wolves separated from MSUB.
 
Faruq-Bey supplied 13 of his 15 points in the second half while finishing the game with four rebounds during a 6-of-13 night from the field.
 
The Wolves move into a semifinal matchup with second-seed Alaska Anchorage on Friday, March 3 at 5:15 p.m.