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Yellowjackets Open 2008-09 Home Slate Saturday
Complete Release in PDF Format
SETTING THE SCENE
The Montana State Billings men’s basketball opens the home slate Saturday versus Montana Western at 7 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium. It will be head coach, George Pfeifer’s first home game as head coach of the Yellowjackets.
MSUB returns home after playing its opener at Division I and 10th-ranked Gonzaga this past Saturday. The Yellowjackets were down by as many as 19 points in the first half, but senior transfer Michael Hall scored the final 14 points of the first half as MSUB went on a 14-0 run through the final 3:32 to cut the halftime deficit to 33-28. Gonzaga opened the second half with a 13-5 run through the first eight minutes to take control of the game and went on for an 83-52 victory. Hall led the Yellowjackets with a game-high 24 points and five made 3-pointers. He was named Co-Conference Player of the Week for his efforts against Gonzaga.
The Bulldogs are coming off hard-fought exhibition losses at Montana Tuesday, 75-67 and at Utah Valley State 90-80. UWM stands at 4-2 on the young season. Despite the loss at Montana, the Bulldogs had numerous chances for the outcome to be different as there were 11 lead changes and six ties. UMW didn’t have a second half lead, but did cut the deficit to one point (61-60) with just over four minutes left. The Grizzlies went on a 12-3 run the rest of the way to secure the victory.
Against Utah Valley State, the Bulldogs shot 52 percent in the first half and were down just four at halftime, 42-38. In the second half, UVSU upped its average, while UMW’s fell to 41 percent. Brandon Lawson led the Bulldogs with 19 points, but Ryan Toolson led all scorers with 41 points.
This season, the Yellowjackets are led by Hall who has 24 points. He leads the team in field goals with eight and 3-pointers with five. Hall also had one assist and one steal against Gonzaga. Second on the team in scoring is Brad Hodge who had eight second half points against the Bulldogs Saturday. Travis Bunker leads the team with eight rebounds.
UM-Western is led by Chad Myers who is averaging 17.7 points through six games this season. He leads the team in field goals (36), 3-pointers (19) and made free throws with 15 (15-21). He also leads the team with seven steals. Brandon Lawson who is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 leads the team with 49 rebounds and 8.2 rebounds per game. Eric Lipkin runs the point and has 31 assists thus far.
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 last week. 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.
EXHIBITION VERSUS DICKINSON STATE
The Yellowjackets opened the George Pfeifer with an exhibition victory over Dickinson State this past Tuesday. MSUB downed the Blue Hawks, 96-91 while shooting over 50 percent in both halves. The Jackets were led by 32 points from Idaho transfer Mike Hall on 13 of 23 from the field and 6 of 14 from beyond the arc. The Yellowjacket defense stymied DSU in the first half, holding the Blue Hawks to just 37 percent, while MSUB shot a blistering 57 percent in the opening half. In addition to Hall, Derrick Wright had 19 points of 7 of 8 from the field, while Mario Burns chipped in 14 points and five assists and Travis bunker had a double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
GETTIN’ TO THE LINE
The Yellowjackets got to the charity stripe 45 times against DSU last week. MSUB went 28 of 45 from the line for 62.2 percent. MSUB was just two free throws off of tying its made field goals for the game.
LAST TIME VS. UMW
The Yellowjackets and the Bulldogs renewed a rivalry last season for the first time since the 1995-96 season. UMW posted a 77-57 victory in Billings last season on Dec. 31. Chad Myers led three Bulldogs in double figures with 22 points, while John Brooks was the only Yellowjacket in double figures with 14 points. UMW outrebounded the Yellowjackets 57-39 and made 13 3-pointers compared to five for the Yellowjackets. In a game that saw both teams shoot poorly, MSUB finished just 18 of 66 for the game for 27 percent, while UMW was 20 of 57 for 35 percent.
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.
LOOKING FOR WINS
The MSUB men’s basketball team is looking to snap a 13-game skid dating back to Jan. 24 of last season when MSUB ended an 18-game skid with a 65-55 victory over Alaska Fairbanks.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO HOME GAMES
Fans can watch and 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.
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