Yellowjackets fall to Vikings on road 79-64, Johnson with career-high 25

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Thursday, January 28, 2016 Yellowjackets fall to Vikings on road 79-64, Johnson with career-high 25

Western Washington defeats MSUB 79-64 in men’s basketball action Thursday night, despite a career-high 25 points from Yellowjacket senior Emmanuel Johnson.

BELLINGHAM, Wash. – Western Washington University turned the tables on Montana State University Billings Thursday night at Whatcom Community College, as the Vikings avenged a loss in Billings earlier this season with a 79-64 win over the Yellowjackets in Great Northwest Athletic Conference men’s basketball action.

It took MSUB senior Emmanuel Johnson just three games to top his previous career high of 22 points – which he set on Jan. 14 at Alaska – but his game-best 25 were not enough in MSUB’s seventh straight defeat.

Kyle Impero led a balanced offensive effort by the Vikings, scoring 17 points and completing a double-double with 10 rebounds. Impero also had five assists and four steals, helping WWU win its fourth straight and fifth in its last six games overall.

“We had some bright spots tonight as far as effort goes, and I was very pleased with how hard our guys played against a very good Western Washington team,” said MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens. “We just aren’t making enough shots and shooting a high enough percentage right now.”

Preston Beverly had 14 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, and added four assists to his double-double evening. Sophomore point guard Kendall Denham had a dozen points, five rebounds, four assists, and three steals while playing 37 minutes and committing zero turnovers. The Yellowjackets shot just 34.9 percent (22-for-63) from the field, and fell to 6-13 overall and 3-8 in conference play with the loss.

The Vikings made 9 of 22 shots (40.9 percent) from 3-point range, and 26 of 60 overall (43.3 percent), to improve to 14-7 on the season and a solid 8-4 in conference play.

WWU screamed out to an 8-0 lead over the opening two minutes of play, and the offensive spree didn’t slow down until a 13-5 advantage for the home team five minutes into the game. Four straight points from Sven Jeuschede brought the ‘Jackets within four points, but WWU began to pull away and had a doublefigure lead within the next five minutes.

The Vikings led 42-31 at the break, but Johnson scored five of MSUB’s first eight points in the second half to get the deficit down to nine points at 46-37 with Junior Emmanuel Olufemi had a pair of blocks, 16:02 to play. four rebounds, and a steal in 13 minutes for the ‘Jackets on Thursday.

The Vikings’ Jeffrey Parker completed a four-point play, draining a three and knocking down a foul shot to push WWU’s edge to a game-high 21 points midway through the second. The ‘Jackets couldn’t get within single digits the rest of the game, as the Vikings finished strong to earn the split in the season series.

Trey Drechsel wound up with 14 points and seven rebounds, while Ricardo Maxwell had 12 points and Colby Mitchell added 10. WWU finished with 17 assists and 16 turnovers, while the ‘Jackets gave the ball up 20 times which led directly to 16 points for the Vikings. MSUB out-rebounded WWU 42-40, but could not overcome its cold shooting in the defeat.

Jeuschede had a season-best seven points, while adding two assists and two steals in 33 minutes.

“I am proud of the guys’ effort and we are looking forward to Saturday’s game at Simon Fraser,” said Stevens.

THE BUZZ: Johnson scored in double figures for the eighth straight game…Beverly picked up his third double-double of the season, and his second against the Vikings…Emmanuel Olufemi had two more blocks, keeping his streak of at least one denial in every game alive…Beverly’s four assists and four offensive rebounds were season highs…Denham was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game.

NEXT UP: MSUB heads north to challenge Simon Fraser University on Saturday in another GNAC contest. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. Mountain time at the West Gym on the SFU campus in Burnaby, B.C. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--