BILLINGS, Mont. –The Montana State University Billings Men's Basketball team will play their final two home games of the season this week when they host #24 Western Washington University and Simon Fraser University.
The Yellowjackets (9-12, 5-8 Great Northwest Athletic Conference) head into the games sitting in seventh place in the GNAC. The top six finishers qualify for the conference tournament in March. With only five games remaining, each game becomes more and more critical if MSUB hopes to reach the post season.
"We would obviously like to finish our home portion of our schedule on a good note," head coach
Jamie Stevens said. "We have struggled here and hopefully, we can change those fortunes this week. The games are important for our post-season chances, as well. We know we can't afford many more losses if we want any chance of making the GNAC tournament."
Western Washington (16-4, 10-2 GNAC) is currently in second place and they are on a six game win streak. MSUB fell to WWU earlier this season (1/18) 84-71 in Bellingham Wash. Western is also ranked 24rth in this week's NABC top 25 national poll.
Simon Fraser (9-11, 2-10 GNAC) enter the week in last place in the conference but defeated the University of Alaska-Fairbanks by ten last week and then lost to WWU by one. MSUB won the first match up at SFU (1/16) in resounding fashion, 100-70.
Western has the league's top offense scoring an average of 86.8 pints per game and the conference's number six scoring defense allowing opponents to score 77.1 points per contest. Simon Fraser is 5th in the GNAC in scoring averaging 76.9 points per game while giving up and average of 78.0 points per contest which is eighth in the conference.
MSUB is seventh in scoring, averaging 75.2 points per game but have the league's third ranked scoring defense allowing opponents to score 74.2 points per game.
Western is led by Austin Bragg who is fifth in the GNAC in scoring (17.1) and leads the conference in rebounding (9.2). Guard Richard Woodworth is sixth in scoring in the GNAC (16.9) and leads WWU in assists (3.5).
Simon Fraser is led by Justin Cole who averages 13.9 points per game. Sango Niang is second on the team in scoring averaging 13.2 points per game and 3.4 rebounds.
Austin Hudson used a historic rebounding night to help him earn Red Lion GNAC Men's Basketball Player of the Week honors (Feb. 2-8).
Hudson scored 47 points and had 32 rebounds in two games last week, a loss to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and a win against the University of Alaska-Anchorage. The win against UAA was the first win at Anchorage since 1998 and the first time the Yellowjackets earned the regular season sweep of UAA since the 1986-87 season.
Hudson had 22 rebounds, including 13 at the offensive end in Thursday's game at Alaska Fairbanks. The 22 rebounds is the second most in GNAC history and the 13 offensive rebounds is an all-time GNAC record.
On the year, Hudson is second on the team averaging 13.7 points per game and leads the team in rebounding pulling down 7.0 per game.
The game against WWU is on Thursday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 PM. The game against SFU is Saturday, Feb. 25th at 7:30 PM. Live stats and Video for both games can be found at MSUBSPORTS.COM. Both nights will feature double-header action as the Lady Yellowjackets will play Northwest Nazarene University and Central Washington University prior to both of the Men's games.
Saturday night will be the final home game for MSUB and thus it is also senior night. Three seniors will be honored before the game,
Kalob Hatcher,
Jonathan Mesghna and
Devon Wallace.
"I am going to miss all three of these seniors," Stevens said. "They have been leaders, contributors and great ambassadors for MSUB, it's athletic department and the Men's basketball program. Playing well this week is important because these seniors deserve to go out the right way here at MSUB. It will be difficult to replace these men and they will always be a part of the Yellowjacket family.
Kalob Hatcher transferred to MSUB in 2012 from Irvine Valley College. During his two seasons with Irvine Valley, Hatcher was one of the most prolific players for IVC averaging 9.8 points per game (558 total) over 57 total contests. Hatcher dished out 237 total assists during his time at Irvine Valley and recorded 79 total steals. He was an all-conference selection as a sophomore and earned Most Valuable Player honors for his team that same season.
In high school at Foothills Christian in El Cajon Cali., he ended his high school career with 2,129 points, 1,209 assists and 249 three-pointers. His assists mark set a new California state record, eclipsing the previous mark of 1,165 held by 10-time NBA All-Star and current Brooklyn Nets head coach Jason Kidd. He also ended his time third in section history in three-pointers made and 12th in career points. As a senior in high school, Hatcher averaged 16.6 points, 9.4 assists and 5.7 steals per game.
This year Hatcher is having an all-conference type season averaging 12.5 points per game and is currently sixth in NCAA Division II and leads the GNAC in assists per game averaging 7.2. He also leads the Yellowjackets in steals totaling 52 on the year. Last season Hatcher was an Honorable Mention All-Conference selection. He was third in the conference in assists averaging 4.7 per game. His 2.83 assist-to-turnover ratio is fourth in NCAA Div. II.
Jonathan Mesghna is from Frankfurt Germany and is a transfer from Div. I University of Maine. During his time as a Black Bear, he averaged 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game. He appeared in 26 games at Maine, starting in 22. Mesghna scored a season-high 17 points at Hartford, and 11 points in an 88-84 win over Florida Gulf Coast, before it made its run to the Sweet 16 last spring.
Before the University of Maine, Mesghna attended North Dakota State College of Science. He was second on the team with 13.3 points per game and led the Wildcats with 8.1 rebounds per game while shooting 48 percent from the field and 42.3 percent from long range. He also shot 83.5 percent from the charity stripe. Mesghna led NDSCS to a conference and Region XIII Championship, scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the Region title game. He garnered First Team All-Conference honors and was named to the President's Honor Roll as the Wildcats finished the season ranked No. 11 in the final NJCAA Poll.
He also played for Central Wyoming College his freshmen year under Coach Stevens which helped lead to the reunion at MSUB. That season he played in all 32 games, averaging 10.8 points per game. Mesghna added 5.2 rebounds per outing. He made 78 three-pointers at Central Wyoming and shot 77 percent from the free-throw line.
This season, Mesghna is leading MSUB in scoring averaging 14.2 points per game which is 14th in the GNAC. He is also second on the team in rebounding averaging 5.9 per contest. He is shooting 39.9 percent from behind the arc and has two double-doubles on the year. His game high this season is 24 point against Saint Martin's University when he also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Devon Wallace joined MSUB in 2012 from Eastern Arizona College. In two seasons at Eastern Arizona, Wallace has led the Gila Monsters in minutes played while averaging 9.5 points, four assists and 3.5 rebounds per game. During those two seasons, he shot 35 percent from beyond the three-point arc as he helped lead EAC to a 39-23 record, a top-20 national ranking and a trip to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region 1 Playoffs. As a sophomore, Wallace saw action in 29 games, averaging 9.0 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists per contest. The year prior, he shot 40 percent from the three point arc en route to averaging 8.8 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists in 30 games.
Hailing from Portland, Ore., and attending Westview High School, Wallace was a two-year letter winner at Westview. He helped lead his team to the state championship game during the 2009-10 campaign, but they were defeated by Jesuit. He averaged 9.0 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game.
This year for MSUB, Wallace is averaging 7.4 points per game, 3.4 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He has eclipsed double figures in scoring seven times this season reaching a season high 15 points twice against Central Washington University and Western Oregon University.
