Yellowjackets Host Saint Martin's in Key GNAC Home Opener Saturday

Game Notes in PDF format

OPENING TIP
The Montana State Billings men’s basketball team opens the 2010 Great Northwest Athletic Conference home slate Saturday with an important matchup against Saint Martin’s University.  The Yellowjackets enter the game with a 7-4 record overall and a 1-1 mark in the conference.  SMU stands at 11-3 on the year and 1-2 in confernce play after a home loss Thursday to Northwest Nazarene. 

SATURDAY PROMOTION
The game sponsor for Saturday’s conference home opener is the U.S. Army and the theme is Military night as all military personnel and their families receive FREE admission with military ID.  In addition, Rainbow Dance will be performing at halftime.

1,000TH VICTORY
The Yellowjackets won their 1,000th career game this past week with an 82-68 victory at Alaska Fairbanks in the conference opener.  MSUB now is 1,000-891 all-time and became the 68th Division II school to reach the 1,000 career victory mark.

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets are led this season by DeAndre Chambers who leads the team averaging 14.6 points per game.  He leads the team with 60 made field goals, second in made 3-pointers with 19 and leads the team in rebounding at 5.0 rebounds per game.  Second on the team in scoring is DaVell Jackson at a 12.5 average.  He is third in field goals made (44) and leads the team with 57 assists and 26 steals.  Lasha Parghalava is third in scoring at 11.6 points per game.  He leads the team with 22 made triples on the year, while Derrick Wright averages 11.2 points as is tied with Chambers with 55 rebounds on the year.

In conference play, Jackson leads the team averaging 21.5 points per game, while Chambers is at 19.0, Brad Hodge is scoring 11 points a game and Parghalava is at 10 points per contest. 

As a team, the Yellowjackets are shooting 47.6 percent from the field and are shooting 37.1 percent from beyond the arc with 66 triples.  The team is shooting just under 72 percent from th charity stripe and is pulling down 33.2 rebounds per game and scoring 74.2 points per contest.

Conversely, MSUB is holding opponents to 45.7 percent shooting from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc.  The opposition is shooting 69 percent from the line and is pulling down 31.3 rebounds per game  and 69.4 points per game.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK
The Yellowjackets split their conference opening road series of the season with an 82-68 victory at Alaska Fairbanks and an 80-72 setback at Alaska Anchorage.  DaVell Jackson was the star of the team as he scored 43 points, including 28 against Alaska Anchorage with 17 made field goals (11 vs. UAA) and tallied 13 assists to just six turnovers.  He had no turnovers at UAA in 36 minutes of action and played all 40 minutes versus UAF. DeAndre Chambers continued to shine as he scored 38 points last week, leading the team in rebounding (14, 7.0) and tallied 15 made field goals.  He has scored in double figures in all 11 games this season.

SCOUTING SAINT MARTIN’S
The Saints enter the game with an 11-3 record and a 1-2 mark in the GNAC.  SMU dropped a 76-59 home decision to Northwest Nazarene Thursday evening.  SMU is led by reining GNAC Player of the Week Blake Poole who is leading the team averaging 20.7 points per game and 12.4 rebounds per contest.  He leads the team in field goals made (105), field goal percentage (.636), free throws made (79), assists (49), blocks (14) and steals (24).  Jeremy Green is second in scoring at 13.6 points per game.  Jared Howard is third at 12.3 points and is second to Galen Squiers from long range with 18 triples.  Squiers is fourth in scoring at 11.5 points and lead the team with 22 triples.

As a team, the Saints are shooting 45.4 percent from the field and holding opponents to just 41.7 percent.  The Saints are shooting just .285 from beyond the arc and are at 72.7 percent from the line.  SMU is pulling down 39.4 rebounds and holding teams to 33.0 average.

INSIDE THE SERIES
The Saints lead the all-time series 7-6 and have won all four meetings since MSUB joined the GNAC.  Prior to that, MSUB had won five straight from 1999 to 2003.  MSUB is 4-2 all-time against SMU in Billings, while the Saints lead the series 5-2 in Lacey.

DAVELL AT HOME IN ALASKA
Senior DaVell Jackson made an impact in his first two GNAC games as a Yellowjacket.  The Las Vegas, NV, native, tallied 43 points, including 28 against Alaska Anchorage in 76 minutes of basketball last week.  he went 17 of 32 from the field (.531) with 13 assists and three steals and pulled down nine rebounds.  Agaisnt Alaska Fairbanks, Jackson played all 40 minutes for the first time this season.

ONE IN THE CHAMBER
Junior DeAndre Chambers continues his impressive start to his MSUB career.  Chambers scored 38 points (19.0 average) in two GNAC games this past week.  He was second on the team with 15 made field goals and pulled down a team-high 14 rebounds.  Chambers has scored in double figures in all 11 games this season.

NATIONALLY SPEAKING
Senior DaVell Jackson is leading the conference and is 25th nationally in assists per game at a 5.8 clip.  He also leads the league and is eighth nationally in steals per game at a 3.2 average.

WINNING ON THE ROAD
For the first time since MSUB joined the GNAC, the Yellowjackets won back-to-back road conference games.  The Yellowjackets won their season finale road game at Northwest Nazarene last season and followed with an 82-68 road win at Alaska Fairbanks last week. It was just the second road win in conference play since MSUB joined the league.

TAYLOR MADE
Junior Brett Taylor came off the bench versus University of Great Falls Jan. 2, for 13 points as he was deadly from long range.  Taylor hit four triples in the game at opportune times to help the Yellowjackets build a big lead and the eventual 88-61 victory.

WENDY’S THREE’S
Anytime the Yellowjackets hit seven 3-pointers in a home game, everyone in the crowd will receive a free coupon for one small chili at Wendy’s.  The Yellowjackets hit exactly seven triples versus Colorado Christian.  MSUB followed with six triples versus Mary, seven versus Northern New Mexico College and seven versus Dixie State.  The Jackets have 35 for the year at home with four Wendy’s Three’s Winners.  For the season, MSUB has 66 triples.

WRIGHT & CHAMBERS REJECTION
Junior DeAndre Jackson leads the team with seven blocks on the year.  He is one ahead of senior Derrick Wright who has six and needs just three more to break into the career top-10 blocks list in school history. 

JACKETS PICKED FIFTH
The Yellowjackets were picked preseason fifth by the conference coaches.  The Jackets tallied 52 points, one point behind fourth place Alaska Anchorage.  Seattle Pacific was tabbed league favorite.

LISTEN TO COACH 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.

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.