The Montana State University–Northern Lights put together a dominant performance on Monday night, cruising to a
94–61 win over Walla Walla University. The victory moves Northern to 3–1 on the season after a strong offensive showing on the road.
The Lights came out firing early, jumping to a double-digit lead in the first half and never looking back. Northern's offense was efficient throughout the night, shooting
52.2 percent from the field and
40 percent from three-point range. Their defensive pressure limited the Wolves to just
34 percent shooting and only
1-for-13 from beyond the arc.
Montana State-Northern shared the ball well and showed impressive balance, with several players contributing on both ends of the court.
Tracen Jilot came off the bench to lead the Lights with
15 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including one three-pointer and a near-perfect night from the free-throw line (4-of-5).
Austin Ramos and
Leon Sayers IV each added
11 points, while
Sayers also grabbed five rebounds. Northern's depth showed, as ten different players scored in the win.
Defensively, the Lights controlled the boards, finishing with
39 rebounds to Walla Walla's 35. They also forced tough shots and held the Wolves to just 32 points in the first half, building a commanding 46–32 lead at the break.
For Walla Walla,
Chike Ezeonu turned in a strong individual effort, posting a double-double with
21 points and
10 rebounds.
Reese Snellman chipped in
13 points, but the Wolves struggled to find offensive rhythm against Northern's aggressive defense.
The Lights' balanced scoring attack and efficient shooting carried them through the second half as they extended their lead beyond 30 points midway through the frame. Northern's bench continued to contribute quality minutes, closing out the 33-point win in convincing fashion.
Montana State-Northern (3–1) will look to carry that momentum into their next match up on Thursday in Great Falls at 7pm against Frontier Conference match up University of Providence.
