BELLINGHAM, Wash. – The Western Oregon men's basketball team opened the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Tournament with a first-round 79-72 win over Montana State Billings Thursday night inside Carver Gym.
It was the third meeting of the season between the two teams with the No. 4 seed Wolves moving to 3-0 over the No. 5 Yellowjackets.
MSUB controlled the game for a majority of the first half, leading by as many as eight points and holding a lead for 12:39 before the break. The 'Jackets were able to force seven first-half turnovers to help balance out a 12 percent deficit in field goal shooting as the Yellowjackets closed the first half cold from the field, hitting one of their final nine field goals before the break. MSUB shot just 34 percent on 10-of-29 from the field in the first half.
After trailing 25-17 following a 7-0 MSUB run, the Wolves went on an 8-0 run of their own and out-scored the 'Jackets 15-7 to close the half and send the game into the locker room tied, 32-32. WOU has gone into a half tied just twice this season including Thursday. Both instances have been against MSUB.
Four players scored six or more first-half points for the Wolves, led by the eight of
Riley Hawken. The junior forward started the game a perfect 3-for-3 from the field including 2-for-2 from 3-point range in 15 minutes of work.
Western Oregon's strong start to the second half set the tone for the final 20 minutes of the game and helped give the Wolves a padding they would need late. WOU opened the second half on a 15-4 run while shooting 6-of-9 from the field and 2-of-3 from deep to take as large as an 11-point lead in the game.
The Wolves' shooting took fire in the closing minutes, hitting nine of 10 shots late in the second half, but the Yellowjackets would keep pace. Zach Rollins got a majority of his scoring done in the final 10 minutes, finishing with a game-high 23 points in 37 minutes. Rollins hit five 3-pointers in the game, attempting more shots from deep than the rest of his team combined.
MSUB closed to within five in the final minute of the game, but Western Oregon was able to repel a late rally, moving their streak over the 'Jackets to seven consecutive wins.
Five players finished in double figures for the Wolves, led by Hawken's 15.
Buster Souza had an efficient night off the bench, scoring 12 points on 6-of-7 shooting.
Dalven Brushier scored all 12 of his points in the second half, adding on three rebounds and two assists.
The victory was the first win in Carver Gym for WOU since Jan. 16, 2016 when they topped Western Washington 78-58.
Western Oregon will face off against No. 1-seeded Saint Martin's in the second round of the GNAC Tournament on Friday in Bellingham. Tipoff March 8 is set for 7:30 p.m. PST at Carver Gym.
