FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Thursday, December 29, 2016 ‘Jackets roll to 107-66 win at SFU, Matthews reaches 1,000 points
On a night where senior Marc Matthews reaches 1,000 career points, the Yellowjackets blow past host Simon Fraser by shooting 59.3 percent in a 107-66 GNAC victory Thursday in Burnaby, B.C. BURNABY, B.C. – Marc Matthews became the 22nd player in Montana State University Billings men’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points, as he scored 20 to help the Yellowjackets to a convincing 107-66 road win over Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponent Simon Fraser University Thursday night at the West Gym. “Not only did we shoot the ball well but we played very unselfishly,” said MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens. “We had multiple players in double figures, and really got contributions from everybody.” Preston Beverly led all players with 22 points, and contributed eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks and a steal. Sven Jeuschede scored a career-best 17 points on a perfect night shooting, as he made all five shots from the floor, all three of his 3-pointers, and went 4-for-4 from the foul line.
Kendall Denham also had 17 points and matched his personal best with 10 assists, as he posted his first-ever double-double. “I thought Kendall was huge off the bench, and he went in the first half and changed the game with his energy,” Stevens said. “It continued the rest of the night. Everybody played well, but Kendall definitely sparked us and got us going.” The Yellowjackets (7-4, 2-1 GNAC) led from start-to-finish, building a 10-point advantage at 18-8 just six minutes into the game. The Clan (2-9, 0-3 GNAC) never got the deficit back to single digits, as the team lost its seventh straight game after starting the year 2-2. SFU couldn’t keep up with MSUB’s stellar shooting percentage of 59.3, as the ‘Jackets connected on 35 of 59 shots overall from the floor. Matthews made seven of those shots on 11 attempts, including a strong night from 3-point range at 4-for-7. The senior also had four assists and a career-high four steals in 27 minutes. “The first thing we talked about in the locker room after the game, is how very happy we were that Marc got that 1,000th point,” said Stevens. “We talked today to the guys about how this was his 16th GNAC trip, so it was good to see him get that milestone. We hope has a lot more points in him for the rest of the year.” Junior Kendall Denham posted his first-ever double-double with 17 points and 10 assists Thursday.
MSUB was never in danger of relinquishing the lead, taking a 47-29 edge into the halftime break and leading by as many as 44 points near the end of regulation.
SFU was led by Kedar Wright, who made five buckets and collected 14 points. JJ Pankratz had 13, Michael Provenzano and Iziah Sherman-Newsome had a dozen apiece, and Othniel Spence added 10 points. The Clan shot 40.4 percent from the floor (23-for-57), but made just 3 of 12 3-pointers and 17 of 26 free throws. Freshman guard Cinco Durr equaled his season best with 15 points in 17 minutes, as he converted 4 of 6 shots from the field including 2 of 3 treys. MSUB was on the mark all night from long distance, hitting at a clip of 51.9 percent (14-for-27). The ‘Jackets also made 23 of 28 foul shots, and commanded the boards by out-rebounding the Clan 35-26. “Saturday is going to be a big test for us, and WWU is very good,” Stevens commented on the Yellowjackets’ upcoming game at Western Washington on Saturday. “They are one of the top teams in the country, and it is going to be a nice measuring stick to see where we are at and what we need to work on. We are looking forward to it, and know it’ll be a big challenge.” THE BUZZ: Denham’s previous career high of 10 assists came on Feb. 27, 2016 in a win over Concordia at home…the 59.3 percent shooting clip was the best in a game by the ‘Jackets since the team shot an incredible 69.5 percent in a 111104 win over SFU in Burnaby on Jan. 10, 2015…it was also the Yellowjackets’ first 100-point game since the big win at SFU two seasons ago…MSUB improved to 13-1 in the all-time series and is now 6-1 in games played at SFU…Cade Alcorn
saw action for the first time since Nov. 12, after recovering from a month-long injury…the 41-point win was the most lopsided for MSUB. MATTHEWS HITS HIS MARC: Entering Thursday’s game with 998 points, Matthews not only reached 1,000 but moved to No. 21 in MSUB history with 1,018 career points. He also remains No. 9 in MSUB history with 168 career 3-pointers made. MSUB Men’s Basketball All-Time 1,000-Point Scorers Rk. Name Points 1. Roy McPipe 1883 2. Cameron Munoz 1879 3. Les Heins 1726 4. Jim Soft 1558 5. Bart Bauer 1547 6. Markus Hallgrimson 1470 7. Titus Warmsley 1467 8. Mark Hamilton 1463 9. Reece Gliko 1388 10. Buddy Windy Boy 1278 ---------------------------------------------------19. Kas Ioane 1048 20. Jeff Andrade 1041 21. Marc Matthews 1018 22. Troy Truvillion 1016 COMING UP: The ‘Jackets return to the U.S. to challenge No. 19 Western Washington University on New Year’s Eve. Tipoff between MSUB and WWU is scheduled for 3 p.m. Mountain time on Saturday, and live video and live statistics will be available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here. --@MSUBSports | #JacketNation--