MSUB men look to extend winning streak Saturday against Alaska

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT Evan O’Kelly Director of Communications O: (406) 657-2130 E: evan.okelly@msubillings.edu Thursday, February 11, 2016 MSUB men look to extend winning streak Saturday against Alaska

Having won two games in-a-row, MSUB’s men’s basketball team will host the University of Alaska on Saturday in the front end of a doubleheader with the Yellowjacket women at Alterowitz Gym. BILLINGS, Mont. – Coming off of its best win of the season on Tuesday night over Alaska Anchorage, the Montana State University Billings men’s basketball team will look to keep its momentum rolling on Saturday as the Yellowjackets host the University of Alaska at 5:15 p.m. at Alterowitz Gym. Saturday’s game will be the first of a doubleheader with the Yellowjacket women, who host Concordia University at 7:30 p.m. on Senior Night.

The Yellowjackets (9-14, 6-9 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) will look to win their third straight game and fourth in their last five overall on Saturday against the Nanooks (16-6, 10-4 GNAC). Live video with play-by-play commentary and statistics will be available through MSUB’s Stretch Internet portal here.

“Alaska is another very good team and is in the top-four in our league,” said MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens. “They have been playing well, and we are going to have to play extremely well to have a chance.”

The Yellowjackets had their best shooting performance of the season on Tuesday night, sinking 17 3-pointers and racing past second-place Alaska Anchorage 90-71.

The 17 makes from long range were more than any other team in the GNAC has hit this season, and MSUB’s shooting percentage of 63.0 from downtown was the fifth-best single-game mark in program history. Preston Beverly led the way with a 25-point, 13-rebound double-double, and all five of MSUB’s starters scored in double figures.

MSUB will look to stay hot on Saturday, playing against a team it lost to in Fairbanks, Alaska, 69-58 on Jan. 14. The ‘Jackets got off to a hot start and led by as many as 12 points in the first half, but the Nanooks adjusted and out-scored MSUB 43-31 in the second.

“We played well up there, but they made some adjustments to their defense,” Stevens said. “We just have to be ready for the different, changing defenses they play.”

Senior Emmanuel Johnson scored what was at the time his career high of 22 points in Fairbanks, before he topped the mark with 25 against Western Washington on Jan. 28. Overall Johnson is averaging 14.8 points over his last 11 games, and is coming off a 19-point performance on Tuesday as he hit five of MSUB’s 17 3-pointers.

Junior Marc Matthews scored 12 points the last time the Yellowjackets and Nanooks met.

Marc Matthews also had a big game against the Nanooks in Fairbanks, as he scored a dozen points, had six rebounds, two assists, and a block in 39 minutes.

Saturday, February 13 – vs. University of Alaska Nanooks – 5:15 PM 2015-16 Record: 16-6, 10-4 GNAC Head Coach: Mick Durham, 5th season Last Meeting: UAF 69, MSUB 58 (Jan. 14 at Alaska Airlines Court in Fairbanks, Alaska) The Nanooks face two road games this week, playing at Alaska Anchorage on Thursday evening before traveling to Billings. UAF enters Thursday’s game on a threegame winning streak, and has played its way into fourth place in the GNAC standings with a solid mark of 10-4 in league play.

Last weekend, Alaska defeated Simon Fraser University 78-68 and Western Washington University 78-64 on the road.

UAF is being led by Travante Williams offensively, whose 18.1 points per game rank third in the GNAC. Williams is also the team’s top 3-point shooter, hitting at a clip of 40.3 percent from long range on the season. The senior leads the team in rebounding with an average of 7.5 boards per game.

Big man Almir Hadzisehovic is averaging 13.1 points and 5.2 rebounds, while Bangaly Kaba is averaging 12.0 points and 6.0 rebounds to complement Williams’ numbers.

Also in double figures in scoring average is Brandon Davis (10.4 ppg), with starter Joe Slocum close behind at 9.5 points per game and a team-best 4.0 assists.

As a team, Alaska ranks fourth in the GNAC in scoring margin at plus-9.8, averaging 84.2 points per game and allowing 74.4. The Nanooks have the second-best 3-point field-goal percentage defense, holding opponents to a mark of 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.

The Nanooks are sixth in the GNAC in rebounding margin at plus-1.8, as they average 39.6 rebounds and allow 37.9.

Alaska also ranks No. 1 in assists with 17.0 per game, and second in steals as it generates 8.7 per game.

Though this will be Alaska’s first game against the ‘Jackets at Alterowitz Gym this season, it won’t be the team’s first trip to Billings. The Nanooks lost to Dixie State University and Dominican University in a GNAC/PacWest Crossover tournament hosted by MSUB over Thanksgiving weekend.

The Series: MSUB holds a 40-25 all-time record against Alaska, and is 27-4 in games played at Alterowitz Gym. Alaska has won six of the last seven meetings between the teams dating back to the 2012-13 season, including a pair of wins over the ‘Jackets in the first round of the GNAC tournament.

Last Time Out: Williams led his team with 18 points, Hadzisehovic had 15 and Kaba added 11 in the home win for Alaska.

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