BELLINGHAM, Wash. — The Montana State Billings men's basketball team couldn't find its shooting rhythm Friday in a 54-38 semifinal loss to Northwest Nazarene at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference tournament at Carver Gym.
MSUB shot 29% from the field (12 for 42) and made just 1 of 16 3-point shots in the loss, which bumped the No. 2-seeded Yellowjackets from the tourney. The Jackets' record fell to 20-0 overall.
Aaron Murphy had 16 points and six rebounds to propel victorious NNU into the next round. The Nighthawks (14-14) shot 43% from the floor in contrast to MSUB's cold afternoon.
Bilal Shabazz had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Yellowjackets. Teammate Carrington Wiggins finished with a team-high 13 points. MSUB turned the ball over 21 times, which led to 17 NNU points the other way.
The Yellowjackets now await the NCAA Division II selection show on Sunday night to find out if they will be selected for the West Region championships.
