Yellowjackets Host Dixie State in Key West Region Contest Monday

Game Notes in PDF format

OPENING TIP
The Montana State Billings men’s basketball team finished finals this past week and hosts Dixie State in the final game before the Christmas break, Monday at 7 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium. The Yellowjackets enter with a 4-2 record on the year, while Dixie State enters with a 5-1 mark.

GAME THEME AND SPONSOR
Tonight’s game theme is Santa Claus Night as Santa will be making an appearance at Alterowitz Gymnasium.  The first 30 children will have the opportunity to have a picture with Santa for free while the cost will be $3 after.  Tonight’s game sponsor is Montana Tobacco Awareness and Prevention.  The Yellowjackets thank them for their support.

MAGIC NUMBER FOR 1,000TH VICTORY
The magic number for the 1,000th victory is three.  MSUB is 997-889 all-time for a .529 winning percentage.  If the Yellowjackets with the next three, the 1,000th victory would come as early as the Jan. 2 game versus the University of Great Falls at home.

SCOUTING MONTANA STATE BILLINGS
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets this season is DeAndre Chambers who leads the team averaging 13.8 points.  He leads the team with 32 made field goals and 13 made 3-pointers.  Second on the team in scoring is Derrick Wright who is averaging 11.7 points per game.  Wright is shooting a team-best .575 from the field on 23 of 40.  He also leads the team with 23 made free throws (23 of 32).  Wright also leads the team in rebounding at a 5.5 average and leads the team with four blocks.  Lasha Parghalava has come on as of late and is tied for third on the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game with Brad Hodge.  Parghalava is second in triples with 11 and third in made field goals with 25.  DaVell Jackson is averaging 9.7 points and leads the team with 35 assists and 19 steals.  He almost has a 2:1 ratio in assists to turnovers (35:18). 

As a team, the Yellowjackets are shooting 48 percent from the field on 159 of 331.  The Jackets are 36 of 89 from downtown for 40 percent and are 95 of 135 from the line after a slow start for 70 percent.  MSUB is rebounding 34.2 rebounds per game and scoring 74.8 points per game.

Conversely, the Jackets are holding opponents to 44 percent from the field and 38 percent from beyond the arc.  Opponents are shooting just 66 percent from the charity stripe and are averaging 31.2 rebounds and 69.3 points per game.

RECAPPING NORTHERN NEW MEXICO COLLEGE
The Yellowjackets had five players in double figures in a 85-64 victory over Northern New Mexico College in their last outing.  Lasha Parghalava led the way with 18 points on 7 of 11 from the field and 4 of 8 from beyond the arc leading four starters in double figures. DaVell Jackson had 12 assists to just four turnovers in the contest, while DeAndre Chambers chipped in 14 points off the bench.  MSUB kept the Eagles at bay for much of the contest. NNMC would cut the deficit to single digits on a number of occasions, but the Yellowjackets had the answer and would swell the lead each time.  The Jackets shot 50 percent from the field for the game and held NNMC to just 38 percent and 26 percent from beyond the arc.

SCOUTING DIXIE STATE
The Red Storm enter with a 5-1 record and have won three straight.  Tom Whitehead leads the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game.  Andy Palmer (12.0) and Donovan Plunkett (11.8) also are averaging double figures.  Zach Robbins leads the team averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.  As a team the Red Storm is scoring 71.3 points and shooting 46 percent from the field while allowing 66 points to their opponents.

A WIN OVER DIXIE STATE WOULD...
• Give the Yellowjackets a 5-2 record on the year.
• Only be two wins away from 1,000 career wins.
• Would give the Yellowjackets a 4-0 record at home this season
• Would even the series with Dixie State at 1-1 this season.

LAST TIME THEY MET
Dixie State posted a 78-75 victory over MSUB in the championship game of the Dixie State Classic earlier this month.  Lasha Parghalava and DeAndre Chambers had 19 points each while Brad Hodge chipped in 11 in the losing effort.  MSUB shot 48.1 percent for the game after shooting 57 percent in the first half and just 39 percent in the second half.  Dixie State shot a blazing 67 percent from the field in the first half, yet MSUB held a 45-40 lead at halftime.  Dixie cooled down to 45 percent in the second half, but went to the line 23 times and made 17 in the second half alone as a key difference in the game.  MSUB went to the line just 11 times in the half.

ROAD UNKIND
The road has been unkind to the Yellowjackets in recent years.  Last year MSUB was 1-10 on the road and the year before 0-10.  Since the 2000-01 season, the Yellowjackets are just 18-76 in road games.  Moreover, the Yellowjackets are just 2-31 on the road since 2005-06.  MSUB is 0-2 on the road this season.

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 and seven versus Northern New Mexico College.  The Jackets have 20 for the year at home with two Wendy’s Three’s Winner.  For the season, MSUB has 36 triples.

CHAMBERS OFF THE BENCH
Junior DeAndre Chambers leads the team in scoring, field goals made and 3-pointers made.  The interesting thing is he has not had one start this season.  He has come off the bench in all six games.  Chambers has scored in double figures in all six games including an MSUB-best 19 in a 78-75 loss at Dixie State.  He was named to the all-tournament team of the Dixie State Classic.

NEWCOMERS STEP UP
In their first outing of their MSUB careers, the new faces accounted for 47 points and 16 rebounds of the Yellowjackets’ 72 points and 30 rebounds, respectively, versus Colorado Christian.

THE WRIGHT REJECTION
Senior Derrick Wright tallied two blocks on versus Colorado Christian, two of which were huge down the stretch.  Wright swatted Jobi Wall twice on 3-pointers that would have cut the Yellowjacket lead to either one or two in the final two minutes of the game.  Wright has two four on the year and 22 for his MSUB career.  He needs just five rejections to move into the top 10 all-time in school history.

CLOSING IN ON 1,000
The Montana State Billings men’s basketball team stands at 997-879 and need just five wins to hit the 1,000 career victories list.  The earliest MSUB would play for its 1,000th win would be a Jan. 2 home game versus University of Great Falls.  There are 67 Division II schools that have over 1,000 career victories entering the 2009-2010 season.

DIVISION ONE FLAVOR
George Pfeifer continued the tradition of bringing in talent from Division I this year as he signed Lasha Parghalava (Hawaii) and Mike McCrary (Cal State Northridge).  Last season, Pfeifer had the services of Mike Hall (Idaho) and Travis Bunker (Wyoming).

NINE NEW JACKETS
Pfeifer has nine new faces for his 2009-2010 team.  MSUB returned six players from his first season and now has two Division I transfers, to go along with three junior college transfers (DaVell Jackson, DeAndre Chambers, Tyrone Williams), three freshmen (Joel Barndt, Robby Trabing, Andrew Hickman) and a transfer from Carroll College in Jason Tanascu.

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.