BILLINGS, Mont. (Feb. 28) — Dom Williams scored a career high 33 points, and the Central Washington University men's basketball team needed them, in a 104-99 overtime victory at Montana State University Billings (MSUB) Saturday. The CWU victory spoiled a 50-point performance for Yellowjackets' senior guard Antoine Hosley, who was honored during Senior Night activities before the game.
 
"I've been playing against Antoine my whole life—he's a good player," Williams added. "It's been a battle between us every single time [we play]."
 
MSUB trailed 28-22 with 7:30 remaining in the first half, but went on a 20-7 run over the final minutes to take a 42-35 lead at halftime, fueled by Hosley, who scored 24 points in the first half. Williams responded with 27 in the second half and extra period.
 
"I knew we were down and, like I say every game, I've got to get going if my team's going to win," he said about his outburst. "The coaches just told me to keep attacking because their big man was sagging off on the pick-and-roll. So I just got in there and tried to draw fouls and stay aggressive."
 
Behind the scoring of Williams, CWU erased the halftime margin early in the second period, tying the game at 46 with 15:48 left. It was the first of 11 second half ties, the last—at 84-all to end regulation—was preserved by tenacious Wildcat defense in the close seconds.
 
"They were running out of guys, so we wanted to get to the free throw line," said CWU head coach Greg Sparling about his team's overtime strategy. On the night, MSUB had four players foul out, while the Wildcats lost center Joseph Stroud to fouls late in the second half. Before he was excused, Stroud scored 24 points. Devin Matthews added 16 points, nine assists—without a turnover—and six rebounds. Matthews and Williams hit key free throws in overtime to preserve the win.
 
Overall, 80 free throws were taken in the game. CWU went 30 for 42, while MSUB hit on 32 of 38. 
 
About the Yellowjackets, Sparling said, "They came ready to play. We looked a little sluggish in the first half, but I'm not taking anything away from Billings. It was a grind-out game and we're very fortunate to get that one."
 
With the victory, CWU ended the regular season with a 17-8 record, 12-6 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC), which was good for third place in the final conference standings. They're marks for which Sparling admits to being pleased.
 
"Especially with how young were are and how thin we are inside," he added. "Our guys have been resilient all year long. When we've needed to make baskets or gets stops our guys did a nice job, so credit to them. This is a long season. To end the year in Billings and to win on their floor is nice."
 
CWU will stay on the Billings floor, as MSUB is the host site for the 2015 GNAC playoffs, which begin next Thursday. The Wildcats, seeded third in the tournament, will face No. 6 Northwest Nazarene Thursday at 5:15 p.m. (Mountain Standard Time). The Crusaders won both regular season meetings between the teams.
 
"I'm ready to get these playoffs rolling so we can win the GNAC championship," Williams stated.