Wolves comeback falls short at MSU Billings

(BILLINGS, Mont.) - Western Oregon had three shots in the final 10 seconds to send the game to overtime, but each came up short just as the Wolves’ comeback attempt fell short against Montana State Billings, 80-77, on Saturday.

WOU was down by as many as 24 points in the second half but fought back to cut it to two (72-20) with 1:52. After an exchange of baskets, DeAndre Chambers hit a pair of free throw to put the Yellowjackets in front by five (79-74).

Blair Wheadon then rushed the ball up the court and found Kyle Long open from behind the arc to cut the Wolves’ deficit to two (79-77). The Wolves then fouled DeAndre Chambers on the inbound pass and he hit one of two shots at the line leaving the door open for WOU to tie.

Once again Wheadon went to Long from deep but his shot hit the front of the rim. However, Tarance Glynn snagged the rebound and the Wolves passed it around to find Wheadon near the top of the key. He pumped and got the defender in the air and tried to shoot around him while drawing the foul, but was unsuccessful on either.

Jamaal Veal then scrambled for Wheadon’s carom and hustled to the three-point line. He put up a desperation heave but it did not find rim.

Western Oregon (7-7, 2-2 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) never held a lead in the game, but the Wolves made it close after putting together a 17-2 run in the middle of the second half. That brought WOU to within six (68-62), after being down by 20 at halftime (46-24).

The starting guard combination of Wheadon and Long combined to score 38 of the Wolves’ 77 points. Wheadon poured in 20 points, including three treys. Long had 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting from the floor and 5-of-10 from long range.

Tarance Glynn also added 11 points, four assists, and a game-high nine rebounds, with five of those coming on the offensive glass. Jamaal Veal scored a career-high 13 points in the contest, including hitting all three of his treys during the Wolves’ second half comeback.

Robert Mayes led Montana State Billings (3-8, 1-3 GNAC) with 19 points and seven rebounds. Emery Henning chipped in with 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting.

The Yellowjackets built their 20-point halftime advantage by shooting 64.5 percent in the first half, which included hitting 6-of-10 shots from behind the arc. The Wolves would end up hitting 11 treys in the game compared to eight for the Yellowjackets, however, it took WOU 29 attempts (half its total shots) from long range to reach that number.

The Western Oregon men basketball team’s next game will be Jan. 6 in Monmouth against Simon Fraser at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are still available by calling 503-838-8449.