FULL GAME NOTES (PDF)
BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings' men's basketball team opens their 2012-13 Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule Thursday at University of Alaska-Anchorage.
THE SERIES
* Montana State Billings and Alaska-Anchorage meet for the 65th time.
* MSUB is 21-8 against the Seawolves in Billings, but 4-28 in Anchorage.
* The first meeting was a 92-91 UAA win on Dec. 1, 1977.
* Alaska-Anchorage ended the Yellowjackets' 2011-12 season in the last meeting.
* Montana State Billings has won five of the last six meetings with Alaska-Fairbanks.
* All six of those Yellowjacket wins were by double-digits.
* MSU Billings and and UAF meet for the 57th time, dating back to 1973.
* MSUB has won 11 of the 26 all-time meetings in Fairbanks.
QUICK HITS
- MSUB is 3-7 in its last 10 conference season openers, and 1-4 in GNAC season openers.
- The Yellowjackets last conference season opening win was at Alaska-Fairbanks in 2010.
- Montana State Billings is 13-1 under
Jamie Stevens when it outrebounds opponents, and 8-0 when it shoots 50 percent or better.
- Under Stevens, MSUB is 16-3 when leading at halftime and 6-11 when trailing.
- The Yellowjackets are 16-0 under Stevens when they shoot better than their opponent.
- MSU Billings is completed a nearly 9,000-mile trip from Billings to Hawaii to Alaska and back to Billings.
ABOUT THE SEAWOLVES
Alaska-Anchorage enters the weekend after a successful showing at its annual tournament, the Carrs Great Alaska Shootout. The Seawolves knocked off a pair of NCAA Div. 1 opponents, UC-Riverside and Loyola Marymount, en route to finishing fourth in the eight-team tournament. UAA picked up votes in the latest national poll after its performance. All-GNAC preseason team member, Kyle Fossman, leads the Seawolves averaging 14.9 points per outing. Alaska-Ancorage currently leads the GNAC in blocks per game at 5.1. Collin Spickerman enters the weekend second in the conference with 2.0 blocks per contest. UAA has won 21 of the last 20 games at the Wells Fargo Sports Complex, and its last 19 games when scoring at least 80 points.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
The magic ran out for the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team. The Yellowjackets, running on fumes following their late-season surge, fell to 16th-ranked University of Alaska Anchorage in the opening round of the 2012 NCAA Division II men's basketball tournament West Regional, 80-68. MSUB ended the game shooting 45.6% (26-57) after starting the game shooting just 37% from the field. The Yellowjackets hit just six three-pointers and went 50% from the free throw line as they struggled to find an offensive answer for Anchorage's three-point prowess.
ABOUT THE NANOOKS
Alaska-Fairbanks comes into the weekend after dropping a pair of games at the Chuck Randall Thanksgiving tournament hosted by Western Washington. Prior to those setbacks, UAF had won three straight games, winning its own tournament, and being named GNAC Team of the Week. The Nanooks were picked eighth in the conference preseason poll. Dominique Brinson is averaging 12 points per game. Alaska-Fairbanks is currently 10th in the conference in scoring margin. Sergej Pucar is fifth in the GNAC in rebounds per game at 7.9. Alaska-Fairbanks is 4-1 in its last five games at home.
THE LAST TIME THEY MET
Seniors
Jaxon Myaer and
Antoine Proctor each recorded at least 20 points as the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team handed the University of Alaska Fairbanks Nanooks their ninth loss in a row with a 75-64 road-win Feb. 3. The Yellowjacket men hit on 50% (26-52) of their shots from the field as a team, including hitting almost 60% (14-24) of their shots in the second half, while holding the Nanooks to a 38.9% (21-54) shooting performance. MSUB received 24 total points from their bench, out-scoring Fairbanks 24-5 in the category.
COACH STEVENS ON UAA AND UAF
We're looking forward to getting the GNAC conference season started and no better way to start than with the Alaska trip. Obviously, we have a lot of history with both schools and I have a ton of respect for both Coach Osborne and Coach Durham. It will be a great challenge for our team and I hope we get better this week.
THE LAST TIME OUT
The BYU-Hawaii men's basketball team rallied after a halftime deficit for a 97-92 win over Montana State University Billings Friday. The Seasiders trailed for the majority of the game, including 45-43 at halftime, before taking a double-digit lead in the second half, and then holding off MSUB in the final minutes. BYU-Hawaii finished 56 percent from the field, while Montana State Billings was 44 percent. The Yellowjackets made nine of their 22 shots from behind the perimeter, and BYU-Hawaii was 5-for-9. The Seasiders missed seven straight free-throws during a key stretch late in the game, but finished 66 percent from the free-throw line. MSUB was just 53 percent.
David Arnold led MSUB with a career-high 22 points. The senior made seven of his 20 shots, and added six assists and two steals. Four other Yellowjackets finished in double-digit scoring.
Omar McDade had 14 points,
Jarrell Crayton had 12, and
Brian Ridgeway and
Sam Johnson both scored 11.
Robby Trabing led MSU Billings with nine rebounds, and
Kalob Hatcher had seven assists.
GRAB THE SKY MILES CARD
The Yellowjackets end an 8,800-mile, 12-day road trip that takes them to Hawaii and Alaska. MSUB played four games in Hawaii, followed by opening Great Northwest Athletic Conference play against Alaska Anchorage and Alaska Fairbanks. MSU Billings left from Billings, connected in Seattle, before landing in Hawaii. It's an interesting way to see the country's 49th and 50th states.
