BURNABY, B.C. – Finishing with the fourth-best single game field-goal percentage in program history at 69.5 percent, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team picked up a solid 111-104 Great Northwest Athletic Conference road victory over Simon Fraser Saturday evening inside the West Gym on the SFU campus.
 
The Yellowjackets connected on 41 of 59 shots from the field, en route to their highest-scoring game of the season so far. MSUB's field goal total was a new season high, and the Yellowjackets' 26 assists tied the team's season-best.
 
Redshirt freshman Jordan Perry led his team and scored a personal season-best 21 points on 8 of 13 shooting, and also had three rebounds, three assists and a block. Momir Gataric turned in 20 points after scoring 25 against Western Washington on Thursday, and Marc Matthews and Antoine Hosley each had 18. Matthews was selected as the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the game, adding eight rebounds, seven assists and a block to his point total.
 
For the Clan (6-7, 1-4 GNAC), the conference's leading scorer in Sango Niang (22.5 pgg) topped all players with 28 points on 11 of 23 shooting. Justin Cole finished with 21 for SFU, and led the team with eight rebounds.
 
With the score knotted at 58-58 at halftime, MSUB used a 12-2 burst to begin the second period to establish momentum. The quick scoring spree helped MSUB control the game in the second half, and the 'Jackets calmly played through SFU's late-game press to hold on through the closing minutes.
 
On the game MSUB outrebounded SFU 39-35, but the Clan grabbed 14 offensive rebounds while the 'Jackets had just five. Forty two of MSUB's points came off of the bench, and MSUB also outscored SFU 64-53 in the paint.
 
SFU, which entered the game leading the NCAA Division II in scoring (120.7 ppg) and ranking last in points allowed (107.8), lost their fourth game in-a-row. The Yellowjackets (3-13, 1-5 GNAC) snapped a three-game losing skid.
 
After Patrick Simon knocked down the first three of the game for the Clan, the Yellowjackets scored the next 10 points to take control early on. Gataric knocked down the first three for MSUB with 14:56 remaining, keeping the lead in the Yellowjackets' hands at 19-12. Another trey from Jace Anderson 30 seconds later extended MSUB's lead to 10 points.
 
Five free-throws contributed to a 9-2 SFU run that got the Clan back into the game midway through the first. Hidde Vos answered a 3-pointer by Matthews with 10:29 left, and a layup by Simon followed to make the score 34-30.
 
Cole converted a layup off of a steal to give SFU its first lead of the game, and Vos drained another three to make it 41-37 with 8:13 left.
 
The score remained close as the first half wound down, and a last-second 3-point attempt by the Clan rattled out at the buzzer with the score reading 58-58.
 
MSUB opened the second period with a 12-2 run, and used the momentum to pull ahead to a 77-71 lead with 13 minutes remaining.
 
The 'Jackets were able to control the pace of the game moving into the closing minutes, knocking down shots and rebounding well to maintain the advantage.
 
A pair of free-throws by Niang cut the Yellowjackets' lead back into single digits, making the score 103-94 with 2:08 remaining. The Clan was able to draw it to a two-possession game four times down the stretch, but the Yellowjackets protected the ball and did not have a turnover inside the final minute.
 
Luke Adams was a strong contributor off of the bench for MSUB, with 13 points and four rebounds in 16 minutes of action. Anderson led the team with three 3-pointers, and finished with 11 points in 11 minutes. Tyler Nelson picked up five rebounds for MSUB, and freshman point guard Kendall Denham turned in six assists, five rebounds, a steal and four points.
 
UP NEXT: MSUB returns home for three games, the first of which will be against Alaska Fairbanks next Thursday at 7:30 p.m. That game will be part of a doubleheader with the MSUB women's basketball team, as will next Saturday's 7:30 p.m. tipoff against Alaska Anchorage.
 
MSUB Single-Game Field Goal Percentage Records
 
Percent                       FGs                  Opponent                                        Date
73.5                             36-49                vs. Brown                           Dec. 30, 1984
71.7                             33-46                vs. Alaska Anchorage          Jan. 24, 1987
70.8                             34-48                vs. Rocky Mountain               Dec. 8, 1986
69.5                             41-59                at Simon Fraser                  Jan. 10, 2015
63.5                             40-63                vs. Jamestown                     Nov. 29, 1997