Box Score

BILLINGS, Mont. –The Montana State University Billings Men's Basketball team defeated the University of Alaska-Anchorage on the road, 75-62 Saturday night halting their five game losing streak. 

The Yellowjackets had not won in Anchorage since Jan. 29th 1998.  The win also secures the regular season sweep over UAA, the first time that has happened since the 1986-87 season.

MSUB led the majority of the first half beginning when Austin Hudson made a lay up to make it 4-3 two minutes into the game.  They held the lead extending it to as much as nine points, until the Seawolves came storming back to retake the lead after a Brain McGill three pointer with two minutes left in the first half.  UAA would take a five point lead into the break, 37-32.

The second half saw both teams go back and forth with MSUB trying to close the gap.  They never let the Seawolves out of their reach and then finally tied the game up on a Marc Matthews dunk 47-47. 

UAA's next possession resulted in a turnover which presented MSUB with an opportunity to seize the lead once again.  Jonathan Mesghna took the chance and drained a three point shot to give MSUB a 50-47 lead with ten minutes remaining.   

The Seawolves would tie the game up two more times, but the Yellowjackets never let them take the lead again for the rest of the contest.  UAA would only manage nine more points in the final ten minutes of play.

MSUB sealed the game on a 14-0 run after UAA had tied the game at 55 all.  Matthews provided the dagger after he hit back-to-back treys to push the MSUB lead to 67-55 with two minutes left.  The Yellowjackets would go onto the 75-59 point win. 

Hudson lead MSUB with 23 points and 10 rebounds recording his second consecutive double-double and his sixth on the year. 

MSUB's leading scorer and rebounder, Mesghna, also contributed a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds. Matthews finished with 13 points going 3-5 from behind the arc while Devon Wallace scored 12 points and gathered in 7 rebounds.

Kalob Hatcher continued his stellar year with 10 assists making it the third time this year he has surpassed double digits in that category.  He leads the GNAC and is currently 9th in the Nation at the NCAA Division Two level, averaging 7.1 assists per game.  He also added seven points and had eight rebounds.  

McGill finished with 16 points and Kyle Fossman added 16 for the Seawolves as well.

MSUB out rebounded UAA 44-29 and in the last two games combined, have out rebounded their two opponents a combined 84-54. 

For the second straight game, MSUB dominated the paint doubling up UAA 32-16 in points scored in the paint.  In their last two games, MSUB has outscored opponents in the paint 74-48.

MSU-Billings shot 44.8 percent from the field and held UAA to 37.2 percent shooting.  

The win moves MSUB to 9-12 overall and 5-8 in the GNAC and keeps them in the hunt for the conference tournament.  The loss drops UAA to 13-11, 6-7 GNAC.

"The guys really stepped up tonight," head coach Jamie Stevens said.  "We have had to fight through some adversity during this losing streak, but they have had great energy and effort during this bad stretch.  It is nice we are finally rewarded for that effort.  We are looking forward to next week's final home games."  
The Yellowjackets return home next week as they play their final two homes games of the season.  They take on Western Washington University on Thursday, Feb. 13th and then Simon Fraser University on Saturday, Feb. 15th for MSUB's senior night.                 

*note: UAA was without head coach Rusty Osborne, who was suspended one game after receiving two technical fouls in Thursday's game against Seattle Pacific University. It is the second time this season Osborne has been suspended.

Newspaper Box Score
Montana State Billings vs Alaska Anchorage
02/08/14 7 pm at Wells Fargo Sports Complex-Anchorage, AK
At Wells Fargo Sports Complex-Anchorage, AK
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 75, ALASKA ANCHORAGE 62
MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (9-12, 5-8 GNAC)
Hudson,Austin 9-13 5-6 23; Mesghna,Jonathan 5-11 2-2 16; Matthews,Marc 5-8
0-1 13; Wallace,Devon 5-14 2-2 12; Hatcher,Kalob 1-6 4-5 7; Miller,Chase 1-4
0-0 3; Nelson,Tyler 0-0 1-2 1; Desin,Danny 0-2 0-0 0. Totals 26-58 14-18 75.
ALASKA ANCHORAGE (13-11, 6-7 GNAC)
McGill,Brian 5-9 3-4 16; Fossman,Kyle 6-14 2-2 16; Thompson,Travis 3-10 0-0
8; Stafford,Teancum 3-11 0-1 7; Leckband,Christian 1-2 5-5 7; Lauwers,Colton
1-6 0-0 3; Blossom,Boomer 1-4 0-0 3; Mears,Brad 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 21-58
10-14 62.
Montana State Billings........   32   43  -   75
Alaska Anchorage..............   37   25  -   62
3-point goals--Montana State Billings 9-23 (Mesghna,Jonathan 4-8;
Matthews,Marc 3-5; Hatcher,Kalob 1-3; Miller,Chase 1-3; Desin,Danny 0-1;
Wallace,Devon 0-3), Alaska Anchorage 10-37 (McGill,Brian 3-6; Fossman,Kyle
2-8; Thompson,Travis 2-6; Stafford,Teancum 1-6; Lauwers,Colton 1-6;
Blossom,Boomer 1-4; Leckband,Christian 0-1). Fouled out--Montana State
Billings-None, Alaska Anchorage-Thompson,Travis. Rebounds--Montana State
Billings 44 (Mesghna,Jonathan 10; Hudson,Austin 10), Alaska Anchorage 29
(Lauwers,Colton 7). Assists--Montana State Billings 21 (Hatcher,Kalob 10),
Alaska Anchorage 16 (Fossman,Kyle 6). Total fouls--Montana State Billings
15, Alaska Anchorage 19. Technical fouls--Montana State Billings-TEAM,
Alaska Anchorage-None. A-606
Great Northwest Athletic Conference game