BILLINGS, Mont. -- Coming off a pair of wins last week, the Montana State Billings men's basketball team opens the Great Northwest Athletic Conference season with a pair of home contests Thursday and Saturday against Western Washington and Simon Fraser, respectively.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-2) are returning home after a 79-75 road victory Saturday night over the University of Mary in Bismarck. The Jackets also dominated Colorado Christian by 50 at home last Tuesday in a 104-54 victory in front of 1,000 plus fans in Alterowitz Gymnasium.
 
Senior guard Antoine Proctor, averaging a team-high 20.0 points per game with 4.8 rebounds, took over with just over a minute remaining in the Mary game. The Washington, D.C. native scored seven of MSUB's final eight points, including a game-changing steal and bucket to put the Jackets ahead for good.
 
Seniors Jaxon Myaer and Taylor Stevens also join Proctor in double figures this season. Myaer is averaging 14.2 points and has averaged 3.8 assists per game, while Stevens is scoring 10.2 points and averaging 3.7 boards per game.
 
The Jackets have started to connect more consistently on their shots over the last two games, shooting 53.2 percent from the floor and have hit 22 three-pointers, including 14 in the win over CCU. MSUB is shooting 44.7 percent from the floor this season and have are 36.4 percent from deep.
 
Defensively the Yellowjackets have forced 144 turnovers this season, an average of 24 per game. Of those turnovers, 63 have come in the way of steals for the Yellowjackets. MSUB has also registered 26 blocks this season and has 35.0 rebounds per game.
 
Western Washington (7-1) comes into Billings on a five-game winning streak, coming off a 78-74 victory at home over Northwest College last Saturday.
 
Three players are in double figures this season for the Vikings, including leading scorers John Allen and Rory Blanche who are each scoring 16.5 points per game. Blanche also leads the team in rebounds with 7.4 boards per game, while Zach Henifin joins Allen and Blanche in double digits with 10.0 points.
 
The Vikings are shooting 49.2 percent from the floor this season and are averaging 36.4 percent shooting from the arc. WWU is averaging 36.2 rebounds per game and are forcing 17 turnovers per contest. Opponents are shooting 45.5 percent this season against the Viks and are scoring 71.5 points per game.
 
In the overall series between the two schools, Western Washington holds a 12-2 record over the Yellowjackets in 14 games. Last season the two schools split the season series with both teams winning on their home floor. MSUB's 80-64 win on Feb. 24, was the first win over the Vikings since Nov. 30, 1979.
 
Thursday's game will also feature the Big Sky Little League All-Stars who will be introduced and recognized by MSUB and the baseball team at halftime for their incredible run to the U.S. title game at the 2011 Little League World Series. There is also a $5 admission for families attending the game.
 
Saturday's game will feature a visiting Simon Fraser team that is 4-2 coming into this week and will play Seattle Pacific on Thursday before traveling to Billings.
 
The Clan played three games last week, going 2-1 in defeating Capilano at home (102-81) before fall to Humboldt State (87-102) and rebounding with a win over Southern Oregon (73-60).
 
Javari Williams leads four players in double figures for the Clan, averaging 26.2 points per game with a team-high 7.5 rebounds. Justin Brown is second on the team with 12.2 points per game, while Jordan Sergent and Matt Raivio are scoring 11.0 and 10.8 points per game, respectively.
 
SFU is shooting 46.2 percent on the season and are 69.4 percent from the charity stripe. Opponents are hitting 48.7 percent of their shots against the Clan and are being out rebounded by SFU by 1.8 boards per game.
 
In the three meetings all-time with the Clan, MSUB is 2-1, splitting the season series a year ago. MSUB dropped the first meeting in Burnaby 79-94, but bounced back with a 90-69 victory at home on Feb. 22.
 
Both games will have live stats and a webcast of the game available on msubsports.com. Just follow the links on the home page or go to the men's basketball schedule page and use the links available.