Beverly GNAC Freshman of the Year, Matthews also all-conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Tuesday, March 1, 2016 Beverly GNAC Freshman of the Year, Matthews also all-conference

Preston Beverly and Marc Matthews each earn honorable mention all-GNAC, and Beverly is selected as the conference’s Freshman of the Year.

PORTLAND, Ore. – After a stellar first season with the Montana State University Billings men’s basketball team, Preston Beverly has been named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year announced on Tuesday.

Beverly and teammate Marc Matthews each earned honorable mention all-GNAC, representing the Yellowjackets among the conference’s top players.

“Any time you can be honored in a league as good as the GNAC, it says something for the season you are able to accomplish,” said MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens. “Both Preston and Marc had good years for us and my hope is that these honors motivate them to have great off-seasons.”

As a true freshman this season, Beverly led the Yellowjackets in rebounding with 6.9 per game, and ranked third on the team in scoring with 13.0 points per game. In 20 conference games, Beverly was third in the GNAC in rebounding (7.7 rpg) and 11th in scoring (15.0 ppg). He played in all 28 games and started 14, and tied for the second-most doubledoubles in the GNAC this season as he achieved the feat seven times.

Beverly reached his season high of 26 points on two different occasions, scored 20 or more points in seven games, and totaled double figures in 19 games. He also reached his season high of 13 rebounds in four games, and was a 42.6 percent shooter from the field overall. After a 26-point, 13-rebound double-double in an 85-83 win over Northwest University, Beverly earned Oak Harbor Freight Lines Classic all-tournament honors in an early-season event hosted by Seattle Pacific University in November.

Overall on the year, Beverly’s 364 points ranked second on the team, and he averaged 25.7 minutes per game.

Preston Beverly.

“Preston had an unbelievable season for any player, let alone a freshman,” Stevens said.

“Moving forward, Preston will only get better and I can’t wait to see what kind of player he becomes in his four years at MSUB.”

Matthews ranked second on the team and 13th overall in the GNAC in scoring with 14.0 points per game. He scored a career-high 27 points on New Year’s Eve against Simon Fraser, had 20 or more points in seven games, and reached double figures 19 times on the year. Matthews led the team with 392 total points, and was the top free-throw shooter in the GNAC at 85.53 percent. The figure was also the sixth-best single-season percentage in MSUB history.

Matthews’ 67 made 3-pointers and average of 2.4 per game led the team and ranked second in the conference. He also ranked third on the team with 56 assists, started 24 games and played in all 28. Matthews was 10th in the GNAC in 3-point field-goal percentage, hitting at a clip of 40.4 from beyond the arc.

Matthews is currently No. 11 in MSUB history in career 3-pointers made with 136, and is No. 17 in program history in blocked shots with 25. He has amassed 856 points over his three seasons, and is averaging 10.6 points per game in his career.

“Marc has all-league talent and has improved on the offensive end every year he has been here,” Stevens said. “If Marc can be a more consistent player from game-to-game next year on the offensive end, and can keep his intensity on the defensive end, he has a Marc Matthews. chance to have a very special senior season.”

Western Oregon senior Andy Avgi repeated as the conference’s Player of the Year, and WOU head coach Jim Shaw was picked as the Coach of the Year. Other special awards went to Joseph Stroud of Central Washington for Defensive Player of the Year, and Sekou Wiggs of Alaska Anchorage as the Newcomer of the Year.

Beverly was the only freshman in the entire GNAC including men’s and women’s basketball to earn all-conference honors, and was one of just two male underclassmen total across the 11-team league.

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