Yellowjackets Look to Get Back on Winning Track Saturday

Game Notes in PDF Format

The Montana State Billings men’s basketball team plays its final home game prior to Christmas and its fourth consecutive home game Saturday at 2 p.m. versus Augustana College.  The Yellowjackets enter the game with a 3-5 record and have dropped two straight and four of five.

Leading the way for the Yellowjackets this season is Michael Hall who is averaging a team-high 16.3 points per game.  He is second on the team in made field goals with 39 and is tied for the team lead with Travis Bunker in 3-pointers with 22.  In addition, Hall is second on the team in made free throws with 14.  Bunker is second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game.  He is just short of averaging a double-double as he leads the team at a 9.5 rebounding clip.  Bunker and Derrick Wright (12.9 ppg) lead the team with 40 made field goals thus far.  Wright also shares the lead with Mario Burns in free throws with 23.  Burns is the fourth Yellowjacket in double figures this season as he is averaging 10.4 points per game.  Burns leads the team in assists with 53 and steals with 17.  He has a team-high 6.6 assists per game.

As a team, the Yellowjackets are shooting .448 from the field on 201 of 449.  The team has drained 56 3-pointers for a .366 average and are 85 of 132 for .644 percent from the charity stripe.  MSUB is pulling down 329 rebounds per game, 1.6 less rebounds than its opponents and is averaging 67.9 points per game as opposed to allowing 73.6 points.

Augustana, a NCAA Tournament team from a year ago, enters the week with a 7-2 record and has won three straight and seven of eight since an opening season 83-78 loss at Chadron State, a team MSUB is quite familiar with.  The Yellowjackets also lost at Chadron State earlier this year (81-74) and are scheduled to host Chadron Jan. 2 in Billings.  Leading the way for the Vikings this season is Big Timber, Mont., native, David Foster who leads the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game.  He leads the team in made field goals with 41, made 3-pointers with 20 and is one of three Vikings to have played and started all nine games thus far.  Erick Krogma is second on the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game.  Krogman leads the team in rebounds at an 8.6 clip.  Krogman also leads the team from the charity stripe with 36 made free throws.  Cody Schilling is third on the team in scoring at 10.3 points, while Jordan Dalton leads the team with 38 assists.

As a team, the Vikings shoot well, rebound well, shoot free throws and play great defense.  Augustana is shooting 46 percent from the field this season on 254 of 544, 37 percent from downtown on 49 of 133 and 71 percent from the line.  The team in pulling down 40.3 rebounds and is scoring 78.7 points per game.  Defensively, AC is holding its opponents to below 40 percent from the field, below 30 percent from deep and opponents are averaging just 32.8 rebounds per game against the Vikings.

A WIN OVER AUGUSTANA WILL...
• Give the Yellowjackets their fourth win of the season, a first since 2006-07
• Even the all-time series with Augustana at 2-2
• Snap a two game losing skid and four of five

INSIDE THE SERIES WITH AUGUSTANA
The Vikings own a 2-1 record in the series that dates back to Dec. 8, 1967.  The Vikings won that day in Billings, 75-73.  In 1975, the teams played again as AC won in Sioux Falls, 74-66.  The teams didn’t play again until MSUB ousted Augustana from the NCAA Tournament on Mar. 8, 1986, with an 86-81 neutral site victory.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK
The Yellowjackets had a tough 64-61 loss at home to Montana Tech a week ago Thursday dropping the team to 3-5 on the year.  MSUB fought valiantly and had opportunities to win down the stretch, but were unable to close the door on the pesky Orediggers.  The game came down to the final minute as a dunk by Derrick Wright put the Yellowjackets up 61-60 with 1:06 left.  Moments later, one of two free throws by Montana Tech tied the game.  The Yellowjackets missed a shot to go ahead and with 24.1 seconds left, Montana Tech’s Tony Trudnowski hit the game-winner 3-pointer to seal the game.  The Yellowajckets had a 3-pointer just before the buzzer, but it wouldn’t go down.

GET YELLOWJACKET GEAR
Fans can now purchase their Yellowjacket apparel through the MSUB athletic website.  Please log on to www.msubillings.edu/athletics and click on the apparel icon.  MSUB and Cuda Apparel have teamed together to bring Yelllowjacket fans custom apparel.  Fans are still encouraged to continue their support of Jackets and Company, too.

TOUGH IN THE LAST MINUTE
In four of the five Yellowjacket losses this season, the Jackets have had leads in the final five minutes but have been unable to shut the door.  In fact, the last two games versus Colorado Christian (Dec. 6) and Montana Tech (Dec. 11) have come down to the final minute as CCU and Montana Tech were able to get the victories in each game.  The Dec. 5 Colorado Christian game, the Yellowjackets won in the last minute, 62-59.

ASSISTING MR. BURNS
Junior Mario Burns currently is ranked 16th nationally in assists at a 6.6 clip according to the first NCAA statistics of the year.  He also is 32nd nationally in assist/turnover ratio at a 2.65 average.  In addition, Burns leads the GNAC in assist/turnover ratio and is second in steals (2.13) and assists.

BUNKER ON THE GLASS
Senior Travis Bunker is 38th nationally in rebounds at a 9.5 pace.  He leads the team in rebounds and is third in the league  at that clip.  Bunker leads the league in defensive rebounds, pulling down 7.5 defensive rebounds per game.

DOWN THE HALL
Senior Michael Hall currently is 30th nationally in 3-point field goals made per game at a 3.1 clip.  In addition, also leads the GNAC in that same area.  He is tied for the team lead in made 3-pointers with 22.

SEEING THE FLOOR
Senior Travis Bunker leads the GNAC in minutes played at a 38.88 clip.  Fellow senior Michael Hall is third at 34.86 and junior Mario Burns is 11th at 32.25.  Bunker has played in three complete games this season, including all 45 minutes against the University of Mary on Nov. 26.

BUNKER EARNS WEEKLY HONORS
Senior Travis Bunker earned honorable mention GNAC Player of the Week honors as he recorded his third double-double of the year at Chadron State and played his third consecutive 40-minute game. 

TAYLOR STEPS UP
Sophomore Brett Taylor stepped into the Yellowjacket starting lineup against Chadron State (Nov. 29) and had the game of his life.  He scored a career-high 23 points on 8 of 14 from the field, including 7 of 12 from beyond the arc. 

TOUGH ON THE GLASS
In a 70-67 overtime victory over Mary Nov. 26, the Yellowjackets dominated the glass, outrebounding the Marauders 35-26, including 14-7 on the offensive end.  All but one of the eight players who played for MSUB tallied a rebound.  It was the second consecutive game that the Jackets have won the battle of the boards, MSUB had a 40-38 advantage over Montana Western Nov. 22.

BUNKER DOUBLE-DOUBLE X5
Three straight games this season Travis Bunker has recorded double-doubles. The Yellowjackets had two double-doubles all of last season.  Against Montana Western, Bunker recorded his first double-double and followed against Mary Nov. 26 and at Chadron State with 14 points and 12 rebounds.  He then tallied two more double-doubles - one against Colorado Christian (Dec. 5) and a season-best 22-point performance and 11 rebound night against Montana Tech (Dec. 11).  Bunker leads the team with 9.5 rebounds per game through eight games.

OVERTIME YELLOWJACKETS
The Yellowjackets needed an extra period to down the Mary Marauders Nov. 26, 70-67.  It was the first overtime game for MSUB since a 90-89 overtime loss on Dec. 21, 2006, against Northwest Nazarene at Alterowitz Gym. It was the first overtime victory since a 113-106 victory over Saint Leo on Dec. 21, 2004.

QUICK OUT OF THE GATES
The Yellowjackets have started quick out of the gates at home this season.  Against Dickinson State (Nov. 11) MSUB raced to a 16-5 and a 24-10 lead.  Then, on Nov. 22, the Jackets raced to a 16-6 lead through the first seven minutes against Montana Western.  On Nov. 26, the Jackets continued that trend with a 21-11 lead through the first nine minutes against Mary.

SNAP THE SKID
With an 81-76 victory over Montana Western Nov. 22, the Yellowjackets snapped a 13-game skid dating back to last season.  The Jackets defeated Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 24, 2008 to snap an 18-game skid to that point.  This is the first time MSUB has been .500 or better since the final game of the 2005-06 season.

STOUT DEFENSE
MSUB held Montana Western to under 40 percent shooting in both halves Nov. 22.  For the game, the Bulldogs were 28 of 71 from the field for 39.4 percent.

GETTIN’ TO THE LINE
The Yellowjackets got to the free throw line 25 times against Montana Western Nov. 22 and followed with getting to the line 24 times against Mary on Wednesday.  MSUB knocked down 19 free throws, including 9 of 10 in the final five minutes preserve the victory against UWM.

HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS
The Yellowjackets have just five road games between the beginning of the season at Feb. 5.  MSUB started the year at No. 10 Gonzaga and played at Mary and Chadron State this past week.  From there, the Jackets have six-straight home games in December and early January prior to the beginning of conference play.    For the season, the Jackets only have 11 road games and 16 home games. 

BURNS DOES THE DISHES
Junior Mario Burns leads the team with 53 assists this season for a 6.6 average.  He had eight assists and five steals, against Montana Western earlier in the season.  He then followed with a nine assist outing against Mary Nov. 26 and just missed a double-double by one assist.

PAINTING THE PAINT
The Yellowjackets dominated the points in the paint against Montana Western Nov. 22.  MSUB scored 34 points in the paint compared to 18 for the Bulldogs and followed with a 22-18 points in the paint advantage over Mary on Wednesday for a 56-36 lead in the Jackets’ two wins this season.

HALL NAMED CO-GNAC POW
Senior Michael Hall earned co-GNAC Player of the Week honors for his 24-point outing against No. 10 Gonzaga in the season opener Nov. 15. Hall scored a game-high in points and was 8 of 17 from the field and 5 of 12 from beyond the arc.  He scored the final 14 points of the first half to bring the Yellowjackets within five at intermission.  Hall shares the first GNAC Player of the Week honor since MSUB joined the league last year with Blake Poole of Saint Martin’s.

SENIOR LEADERSHIP
Last season, the Yellowjackets didn’t have a senior on the team, in fact, MSUB had probably one of the youngest teams in the country with six freshmen and four sophomores.  This season, two senior transfers and six junior transfers highlight the team.

FRESH FACES
As the 2007-08 roster featured six freshmen, the 2008-09 roster features nine new players, including two Division I senior transfers, six transfer juniors and one freshman. 

JUCO INFUSION
MSUB has a number of junior college transfers this season.  In fact, five of the nine new players all came from junior college.  Derrick Wright and Mario Burns came from Western Oklahoma State College, while Lance Anderson and Brad Hodge transferred from Grays Harbor College and Adam Weisz came to MSUB from Dawson County Community College.

JACKETS PICKED EIGHTH
The Yellowjackets were picked preseason eighth by the conference coaches.  The Jackets tallied 22 points, three ahead of ninth-place Alaska Fairbanks.

LISTEN TO PFEIFER
Fans can listen to the weekly Coach Pfeifer Show on the internet each Tuesday.  Log on to www.msubillings.edu/athletics to listen to Pfeifer’s thoughts on the previous week and the coming weeks throughout the season.

WATCH/LISTEN TO HOME GAMES
Fans can listen to all MSUB men’s basketball home games by logging on to www.musbillings.edu/athletics and click on live broadcasts.  Ken Adelblue provides the play-by-play for each home game.