Box Score                                                    Stevens Interview 


BILLINGS, Mont. –The Montana State University Billings Men's Basketball lost a heart breaker in double overtime to Great Northwest Athletic Conference rival, Seattle Pacific University Saturday night at Alterowitz 92-87.

The Jackets came out fighting, trading shots with SPU until the Falcon's leading scorer Patrick Simon hit back-back threes and gave SPU a 39-30 lead going into the half. 

MSUB found themselves down by 13 points early in the second half after a layup by Mitch Penner gave the Falcons a 51-38 advantage with fifteen minutes left to play.  But then the Yellowjackets mounted a ferocious comeback and closed the gap to just five after Jonathan Mesghna hit a three point shot with eight minutes and twenty nine seconds left, making it 65-60 in favor of SPU.

Meshgna would hit another three point shot with three minutes and thirty seconds left to give MSUB their first lead of the second half, 71-70. 

SPU would take the lead back after two free throws by David Downs, 73-72.  The Jackets came right back and retook the lead yet again after a layup by Austin Hudson with one minute and forty seven second left to make it 74-73.

Penner would draw a foul on Hudson in the lower left of the paint of the Falcon's next posession and head to the charity strip, it was also the fifth foul for Hudson.  Penner hit one of two to draw the game even 74 all with thirty seconds left. 

A quick time out by MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens to draw up a play that led to Kalob Hatcher holding the ball until ten seconds remained.  He then drove down the left side of the key, kicked it to Chase Miller in the left corner behind the three point line.  Miller had hit two threes in a row from the left corner already, got a good look and let fly a three point shot.  It glanced off the rim as regulation expired sending the game into overtime. 

SPU opened the first OT period with a layup from Riley Stockton to make it 76-74.  Tyler Nelson would be fouled and sent to the line where he made one of two.  Two SPU free throws later and it was 78-75 with time dwindling down for MSUB. 

Hatcher would have an answer for SPU.  He drove down the right side of the key, cut inside and gracefully laid in the ball to make it 78-77.  Downs would be fouled on the next SPU possession and would make the first but miss the second free throw, 79-77.  

With one minute and thirty seconds left, Tyler Nelson would be fouled and convert both free throws to draw even at 79-79.  Both teams would miss a jumper in their next possessions.  The ball was back with SPU and it would be their turn to try for a game winner.

The Falcons would inbound the ball right in front of their bench.  David Downs came off a screen from the top of the three point line, caught the ball going left and launched up an attempt.  It clanged off the rim to the right and the game was heading to overtime number two.

The score was all tied up again at 86-86 with one minute and thirty one seconds left.  Downs would drive down the right side of the key and somehow make the ball go through the net on a contested layup.  It was now 88-86 and as soon as Kalob Hatcher crossed half court he was fouled. He would head to the line with an opportunity to tie the game up in the closing seconds.

Hatcher converted one of two attempts and now MSUB had to foul immediately in hopes SPU would miss their free throw attempts.  The Falcons would go on to make their final four three throws in a row and close out the game 92-87. 

With the win SPU moved to 16-4 overall and 7-2 in the GNAC, while MSUB dropped to 8-9, 4-5 GNAC.

Hatcher would finish with a double-double of 12 points and a career high 13 assists.  Mesghna tied his career high with 24 points and pulled down five rebounds.  Hudson also scored a career high 26 points and gathered in a team leading 7 rebounds.  Miller finished with 14 points on 4-8 shooting from behind the arc. 

SPU was led by Simon who scored a game high 31 points and nine rebounds.  Downs finished with 19 points and a team high 6 assists.  Two other SPU players finished in double figures as well. 

MSUB shot 50.8 percent from the field including 50.0 percent from three point land (12-24).  SPU shot 43.8 percent from the field and 41.7 percent from behind the arc (10-24). 

SPU out rebounded MSUB 33-26 and forced nine turnovers while only giving up four.  SPU had 15 second chance points while MSUB only had two.  MSUB had more points in the paint then SPU, 32-28.

"I was proud of how our guys fought," Stevens said.  "We had a chance to win a couple times, but SPU is a great team and a great program.  I have so much respect for those guys, they do it the right way and it was just two great teams playing.   We just have to learn how to win, we are 4-5 but I think we are a better team than that and I like our team going forward.  The next nine games we will have a chance every single night.  All those guys stepped up and fought their tails off."              

The Yellowjackets next face Western Oregon University on Jan. 30th and Saint Martin's University on Feb. 1st both at home in Alterowtiz. 

Newspaper Box Score
Seattle Pacific vs Montana State Billings
01/25/14 7:30 p.m. at Alterowitz Gymnasium (Billings, MT)
At Alterowitz Gymnasium (Billings, MT)
SEATTLE PACIFIC 92, MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 87
SEATTLE PACIFIC (16-4,7-2 GNAC)
Simon,Patrick 9-16 9-10 31; Downs,David 5-15 8-10 19; Stockton,Riley 7-12
0-0 16; Penner,Mitch 4-9 5-6 14; Borton,Matt 2-3 2-2 8; Hutsen,Cory 1-5 0-0
2; Todd,Ryan 0-0 1-2 1; Carroll,Brendan 0-3 1-2 1; Rasmussen,Joe 0-1 0-0 0.
Totals 28-64 26-32 92.
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (8-9, 4-5 GNAC)
Hudson,Austin 11-17 4-5 26; Mesghna,Jonathan 9-18 0-0 24; Miller,Chase 5-9
0-0 14; Hatcher,Kalob 4-11 4-6 12; Nelson,Tyler 0-1 5-6 5; Matthews,Marc 1-2
0-0 3; Desin,Danny 1-2 0-0 3; Anderson,Jace 0-0 0-0 0; Wallace,Devon 0-1 0-0
0. Totals 31-61 13-17 87.
Seattle Pacific...............   39   35    5   13  -   92
Montana State Billings........   30   44    5    8  -   87
3-point goals--Seattle Pacific 10-24 (Simon,Patrick 4-6; Borton,Matt 2-2;
Stockton,Riley 2-5; Penner,Mitch 1-3; Downs,David 1-7; Carroll,Brendan 0-1),
Montana State Billings 12-24 (Mesghna,Jonathan 6-8; Miller,Chase 4-8;
Desin,Danny 1-1; Matthews,Marc 1-2; Wallace,Devon 0-1; Hatcher,Kalob 0-3;
Hudson,Austin 0-1). Fouled out--Seattle Pacific-Stockton,Riley; Hutsen,Cory,
Montana State Billings-Hudson,Austin; Nelson,Tyler. Rebounds--Seattle
Pacific 32 (Simon,Patrick 9), Montana State Billings 26 (Hudson,Austin 7).
Assists--Seattle Pacific 13 (Downs,David 6), Montana State Billings 18
(Hatcher,Kalob 13). Total fouls--Seattle Pacific 16, Montana State Billings
24. Technical fouls--Seattle Pacific-None, Montana State Billings-None.
A-1123