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BILLINGS, Mont. – For the second time this season, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team faced a nationally-ranked opponent on their home court, but this time, the result went in favor of the Yellowjackets as five players scored in double-figures to lift MSUB to an 86-77 upset victory over 24^th-ranked Seattle Pacific University Saturday night.
 
With their first victory over a ranked opponent under the guidance of head coach Jamie Stevens, the Yellowjacket men improve to 10-7 overall and 5-4 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference. Seattle Pacific entered the game second in the league to No. 22 Western Washington, and after the loss, they move to 14-4 overall and 6-3 in league action.
 
“I was very pleased with our effort tonight,” Stevens stated after the game. “Seattle Pacific has a great team and a great program. They are extremely well-coached and to beat them, you have to have a great effort from everybody. Our guys did that tonight.
 
MSUB hit on 46.4% (26-56) of their shots, including going 13-24 (54.2%) in the second half. The Yellowjackets were especially lethal when it counted most from the charity stripe, hitting on 25 of their 29 trips to the line.
 
One of the biggest factors in the game was the 'Jackets' ability to apply stiff pressure to the nationally-ranked Falcons as they attempted to work down the court. In the first half alone, SPU turned the ball over 15 times, finishing the game with 24 turnovers that MSUB was able to convert into 23 points.
 
Junior guard David Arnold led all scorers as he came off the bench to record 16 points. The Highlands Ranch, CO. native was 4-for-6 from the field and drained all eight of his shots from the free throw line.
 
Just behind Arnold, senior guard Antoine Proctor netted 14 points while senior forward Robert Mayes chipped in 13. Proctor and Mayes led the Yellowjackets in rebounding with Proctor bringing down six boards while Mayes corralled in five.
 
Rounding out the plethora of scorers in double-digits for MSUB were Jaxon Myaer and Emery Henning each with 11 points. Myaer led the team with three treys.
 
For SPU, just two players were able to eclipse the 10-point mark with Jobi Wall leading the team with 14 points that included knocking down three three-pointers.
 
Cory Hutsen came on strong late to record 13 points and a game-high seven rebounds.
 
The game started off slow as both teams struggled through the first two and a half minutes without finding a bucket. Proctor opened the scoring by swishing a pair of free throws, and MSUB would never trail from there, building their lead up to 12 (32-20) when Henning deftly laid the ball into basket with just over two minutes remaining in the opening stanza.
 
“We did a nice job of getting in passing lanes and jumping ball screens and handoffs in the first half particularly and our energy was fantastic,” said Stevens. “Offensively, we knocked down just enough shots and made our free throws when we needed to so we could pull off this win.”
 
With an eight-point (34-26) lead at half time, the Yellowjackets entered the second half with a strong desire to secure the win over a ranked opponent on their home court, and it showed in their spirited play over the remaining 20 minutes.
 
Myaer kick-started MSUB's second half with one of his three-pointers that spurred the Yellowjackets to extend their lead out to as many as 15 points.
 
Sensing the upset in the works, the Falcons battled hard to find some form of momentum, but it belonged to MSUB which maintained a solid, double-digit lead until five minutes remained in regulation. Off a steady dose of outside shots, free throws and extremely physical defensive pressure, the Yellowjackets were able to battle down the stretch to secure the win despite SPU finding a way to claw back to within three points (80-77) with 43 seconds remaining.
 
MSUB received 37 total points from the bench, but were out-rebounded by the Falcons 36-29.
 
The Yellowjacket men will now turn their focus to Thursday's home GNAC game when the Wolves of Western Oregon University prowl into Billings for a 7 p.m. tip.