Yellowjackets Hit the Road for Key GNAC Contests

Game Notes in PDF format

OPENING TIP
The Montana State Billings men’s basketball team returns to the road at Northwest Nazarene and at No. 12 Seattle Pacific this week.  The Yellowjackets play at NNU on Thursday at 7 p.m. and then at SPU on Saturday at 7 p.m. 

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 1,001-891 all-time and became the 68th Division II school to reach the 1,000 career victory mark.

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
The Yellowjackets this season are led by junior guard DeAndre Chambers who averages 14.0 points per game tying him for 11th in the league.  He leads the team with 62 made field goals, second in 3-pointers made (20), second in rebounding (4.8) and second in assists with 31.  He leads the team with eight blocks as well.  Second on the team in scoring in senior guard DaVell Jackson who averages 12.9 points.  He leads the team and the league in assists at a 5.9 average and 65 total.  Jackson is third in field goals made (50) and leads the team with 41 made free throws and 27 steals which ranks him third in the league.  Lasha Parghalava is third on the team in scoring at 12.2 points.  He is second in field goals made with 53 and leads the team with 24 triples.  Parghalava is second in steals with 11.  Derrick Wright leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 clip and is fourth in scoring at 10.5 points per contest. 

As a team, the Yellowjackets are shooting 47.6 percent from the field and are shooting 36.3 percent from beyond the arc with 69 triples.  The team is shooting 73 percent from the charity stripe and is pulling down 33.8 rebounds per game and scoring 74.2 points per contest.

Conversely, MSUB is holding opponents to 44.5 percent shooting from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.  The opposition is shooting 68 percent from the line and is pulling down 31.8 rebounds per game  and 69.2 points per game.

In conference play the numbers are up for the Yellowjackets as Jackson is averaging 20 points per game to lead five players in double figures.  Jackson leads the team with 23 made field goals and 21 assists, while Parghalava (12.7ppg.) leads the team with seven triples and Mike McCrary and Brad Hodge lead the team with 5.3 rebounds per game.

RECAPPING LAST WEEK
Down 16 points with four minutes left in the first half the Yellowjackets looked as if they were in some serious trouble in their conference home opener, but MSUB shot 70 percent in the second half from the field and erased the deficit to go on for a 74-67 victory.  Mike McCrary had 15 points and 10 rebounds, while DaVell Jackson had 17 points and eight assists and Lasha Parghalava had 18 points and seven rebounds.  Brad Hodge had 14 points and seven rebounds off the bench.  It was the sixth consecutive home win for the Yellowjackets this season.

SCOUTING NORTHWEST NAZARENE
The Crusaders enter the week with a 10-5 record and a 2-2 record in conference play.  NNU is led by reigning conference player of the week Drew Eisinger who leads the team averaging 16.1 points per game.  He leads the team with 81 field goals made, tied for the team lead from downtown with 33 triples and leads the team with an 87 percent free throw percentage at 47 of 54.  Eisinger is second in assists with 49 and leads the team with 27 steals.  Brian Barkdoll is second in scoring at 12.1 points and leads the team in rebounding averaging 7.8 rebounds per game.  Anthony Golden is third in scoring at 11.6 points and is tied for the team lead in 3-pointers with 33.  Kendall Gielow is fourth in scoring at 10.9 points and is second in field goals made with 62. 

As a team the Crusaders are shooting 48 percent from the field, 42 percent from beyond the arc and 76 percent from the line.  NNU is pulling down 38.2 rebounds per game and is allowing 33.9.  The Crusaders are averaging 81.7 points per game and allowing 74.

INSIDE THE SERIES
The Yellowjackets own a 10-9 record in the series and have won the past two meetings.  The Crusaders were the only team MSUB swept last season in conference play.  NNU owns a 5-3 record in Nampa and MSUB leads 6-4 in Billings and 1-0 in neutral sites.  Prior to last season, NNU had won six straight and seven of eight.

SCOUTING SEATTLE PACIFIC
The 12th-ranked Falcons enter the week with a 12-2 record and a 3-0 mark in conference play.  The Falcons play at No. 15 Western Washington on Thursday before hosting the Yellowjackets Saturday.  Leading the way for SPU this season is Chris Banchero who leads the team averaging 17.3 points per game.  He leads the team with 82 made field goals, second in 3-pointers (15) and leads the team with 63 made free throws.  Brandon Larrieu is second in scoring at 14.6 points per game, while Rafael Moreira is third in scoring at 13 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.2 rebounds per contest.  Ryan Sweet leads the team at a 6.6 average. 

As a team, the Falcons are shooting over 50 percent from the field (.512) to lead the league.  They are shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc and 70 percent from the line.  The Falcons average 35.7 rebounds per game and allow just 30.2 boards per contest.  SPU averages 78.8 points per game and allows 65.7 points per game.

INSIDE THE SERIES
SPU owns a 28-27 record in the series overall and a 22-7 record in Seattle.  Conversely, MSUB owns a 19-5 mark in Billings and both teams have won a neutral court matchup.  SPU won both meetings last year and has won six straight and 17 of 24 since 1990.  MSUB’s last win in Seattle came Jan. 16, 1987 in a 74-73 victory

BIG SECOND HALF
The Yellowjackets erased a 16-point deficit en route to a 74-67 victory over Saint Martin’s last weekend.  The Jackets scored 47 points and shot a season-high 70 percent from the field in the second half.

KNOCKING DOWN THE FREE ONES
The Yellowjackets rank second in the league in free throw percentage at 73 percent.  MSUB was 23 of 28 from the charity stripe against SMU this past weekend. 

LASHA COMES UP BIG
Senior Lasha Parghalava scored a team-high 18 points on 6 of 12 from the field, 2 of 5 from deep and 4 of 5 from the line with seven rebounds.  In the second half alone, Parghalava scored 14 points on 5 of 9 from the field, 2 of 5 from deep and 4 of 5 from the line to key the comeback.

DEEP BENCH
This season the Yellowjackets have a deep bench as it has scored 20 or more points in four consecutive games and nine total for the year. 

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.  Against 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 his first two GNAC games.  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 in the 2010 conference opener. 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 69 triples.

WRIGHT & CHAMBERS REJECTION
Junior DeAndre Jackson leads the team with eight 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.