BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings Men's Basketball team end their regular season with three consecutive road games.  The first is a trip to play the NCAA Division II nationally ranked #13 Seattle Pacific University Falcons, Saturday Feb. 22. 

The first time the two teams met (Jan. 25) ended with SPU pulling out a double-overtime win 92-87.  Kalob Hatcher would finish with a double-double of 12 points and 13 assists.  Jonathan Mesghna scored 24 points and pulled down five rebounds.  Austin Hudson scored 26 points and gathered in a team leading 7 rebounds. Chase Miller finished with 14 points on 4-8 shooting from behind the arc. 

The Yellowjackets (11-12 overall, 7-8 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference) are currently in seventh place in the conference.  They are one loss back of the fifth and sixth place teams in the GNAC (Western Oregon University and Central Washington University who are both 7-7 in conference play).  MSUB is also now just one game back of the fourth place team, Alaska-Anchorage University (8-7 GNAC).  The top six teams qualify for the GNAC post season tournament.

The Falcons (22-4, 13-2 GNAC) are currently in first place in the conference and can clinch the GNAC regular season championship with a win against MSUB. 

The game will be a battle between the best 3-point shooting team in the GNAC (SPU at 43.7%) and the second-best at defending the trey (MSUB at 33.1%). 

SPU is also number one in the GNAC in scoring defense giving up an average of 66.7 points per game.  MSUB carries the fifth ranked scoring defense allowing opponents to score 75.5 points per game.  The Yellowjackets are sixth in the GNAC In scoring averaging 77.2 points per game.  The Falcons have the fourth ranked scoring offense in the fourth ranked scoring an average of 79.2.  

The Falcons rank No. 6 nationally in field goal accuracy shooting 51.6 percent. That includes a 43.7-percent mark on 3-pointers which is the nation's third best. 

MSU-Billings is led by Kalob Hatcher who is fifth in the nation in assists per game averaging 7.6 per contest.  In just two seasons at MSUB, Hatcher has embedded his name in Yellowjacket history.  He ranks ninth so far in program history for assists in a single season (175) and assists in a career (317).  His season high and career high in assists came when he dished out 14 against Simon Fraser University.  (Feb. 15)  He also averages 13.3 point per game and has four double-doubles in assists and points this year.  Hatcher is third in the GNAC in minutes played per game averaging 35.0.   

Jonathan Mesghna leads the Yellowjackets in scoring averaging 15.0 points per game which is good enough for 10th in the GNAC.  He averages 5.9 rebounds per game as well.  Meshgna a career record in scoring when he dropped 29 points against SFU.

Austin Hudson is second on the team in scoring, averaging 13.6 per game to go with a team leading, and ninth place in the GNAC, 7.2 rebounds per game.  Hudson scored 47 points and had 32 rebounds in two games earlier in the year.  A loss to the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (Feb. 6) and a win against the University of Alaska-Anchorage (Feb. 8).  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 against Alaska Fairbanks.  The 22 rebounds is the second most in GNAC history and the 13 offensive rebounds is an all-time GNAC record.  He has seven double-doubles in points and rebounds this season. 

The Falcons are led by David Downs and Patrick Simon.  Downs is third in the GNAC in scoring (19.9) and Simon is fifth (17.0).  Simon ranks No. 1 in the nation NCAA Div. II in three point shooting (53.7%) and David Downs is No. 2 (50.0%). SPU reached the 50-percent mark in over half (14) of its 26 games and outshot opponents on 20 occasions.  

"We have a huge challenge facing us this week," head coach Jamie Stevens said.   "SPU is rolling right now and considering its Senior Night and they have a chance to win the GNAC, they will likely play very inspired. We will have to match their level of effort in all areas to have a chance to win there. We look forward to the challenge and will learn a lot about the toughness and culture of our players and our program on Saturday night."
MSU-Billings is 29-35 all-time when facing SPU but is 7-26 when playing on the road at SPU. 

The game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 PM PT.  Stats and live video can be found at http://www.spufalcons.com/