MONMOUTH, Ore. – Reigning Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball Player of the Year Andy Avgi made his presence known inside the New P.E. Building Saturday night, as he scored a game-high 27 points to lead No. 4 Western Oregon University to a 91-69 conference win over visiting Montana State University Billings.
 
Yellowjacket freshman Preston Beverly had a 19-point, 13-rebound double-double, but the Wolves' Devon Alexander and Tanner Omlid each scored 19 points to back Avgi's big offensive effort. Jace Anderson added 15 points and Kendall Denham chipped in 10 for MSUB, which fell to 3-5 with the loss and 1-1 in GNAC play.
 
The Wolves, ranked No. 4 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches top-25 poll, remained undefeated at 8-0 on the season and improved to 2-0 in conference play.
 
"Western Oregon is a very, very good team, and they have a lot of seniors who play together and know how to play," commented MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens. "They are 8-0 because they play really hard, and that's the goal; for us to get our program to that level."
 
The Wolves shot an outstanding 56.5 percent from the floor in the game, making 35 of 62 shots overall and 8 of 20 from 3-point range. MSUB meanwhile shot 39 percent (23-for-59) from the field and 36.4 percent (8-for-22) from long distance.
 
The Wolves held a 38-32 advantage on the boards, and Alexander led the way as he completed a double-double with 11 rebounds. Cade Alcorn grabbed six rebounds for the 'Jackets, while Jordan Perry led the team with four assists.
 
Beverly made 6 of 14 shots on the evening including three triples, and he also had a pair of steals, a block, and an assist for MSUB. Entering the game shooting better than 70 percent from the field on the season, Avgi made 12 of 16 shots and three 3-pointers while also grabbing four rebounds in 27 minutes.
 
The Wolves started the game on a 9-2 run, capitalizing on a pair of early turnovers by the Yellowjackets. A Julian Nichols trey was followed by a breakaway layup by Alexander, as the Wolves extended their advantage to 20-5 six minutes into the game.
 
Avgi, Alexander, and Nichols accounted for the first 25 points of the game for the Wolves, as the home team held a 13-point lead at 25-12 with 10 minutes to play in the first half.
 
Beverly drained back-to-back threes to give MSUB a six-point burst and cut the deficit to 12 points with 6:19 until halftime. The Wolves missed a pair of free throws, and Christian Evans hit his first three of the game to extend the run to 9-0.
 
Omlid responded with a pair of threes for the Wolves, as WOU kept the double-digit edge in hand heading into halftime up 47-32.
 
An 0-for-7 start to the second half by the 'Jackets allowed WOU to push its lead above 20 points, until a charge taken by Anderson and a jumper by Beverly stopped the 9-1 run.
 
An emphatic throw-down by Omlid put an exclamation point on the evening for the Wolves, pushing the score to 82-60 with just under four minutes to play.
 
MSUB had a dozen turnovers compared with 10 by WOU, and the Wolves had 11 fast-break points while MSUB had none. WOU led by as much as 27 points, and each team received 34 points from its bench.
 
The loss came after a 76-59 win over Concordia University on Thursday, as the 'Jackets split their first GNAC road trip of the season.
 
"I didn't feel like we competed very well tonight, but if you go on the road and get splits and take care of business at home it will keep you in good shape." Stevens said.
 
THE BUZZ: The game marked WOU's 2015-16 home opener…WOU inched itself ahead of MSUB in the alltime series, improving to 11-10 against MSUB in 21 historic meetings…Beverly was picked as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for recording his first collegiate double-double.
 
COMING UP: The Yellowjackets return to non-conference play next weekend with a pair of games in a tournament hosted by Seattle Pacific University. MSUB will take on Azusa Pacific University on Dec. 11 and will challenge Northwest University the following evening. Both games are scheduled to tip off at 5:30 p.m. Mountain time in Seattle.