BILLINGS, Mont. – Nine down, nine to go. It's the midway point of the Great Northwest Athletic Conference schedule for the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team, which will hit the road this week to take on a pair of West Coast opponents.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-15, 2-7 GNAC) will seek payback against a pair of teams they lost to at home earlier in the season. MSUB is set to take on Western Oregon in Monmouth, Ore., on Thursday before heading to Lacey, Wash., for a meeting with the Saint Martin's Saints. Both games are scheduled for 8 p.m. Mountain time, and live video and statistics will be available via www.msubsports.com.
 
Most recently, MSUB lost to visiting Seattle Pacific 60-44 last Saturday, as the streaking Falcons picked up their ninth win in their last 10 games. The 'Jackets have now dropped two straight dating back to a dramatic, 83-78 overtime victory over Alaska Fairbanks on Jan. 15.
 
"We know we have nine games to go and that we will be playing opponents that we have played before," said MSUB head coach Jamie Stevens. "It's a little bit of a new start, and we are excited to go back to work."
 
Momir Gataric, who has started 18 of 19 games this season for the 'Jackets, is the team's leading scorer with 12.4 points per game. The scoring average is the 15th-best mark in the GNAC, and the junior has made 14 of his last 17 free-throws and is shooting 56.0 percent from the field over his last five games.
 
Tyler Nelson is the team's leader in rebounding with an average of 5.5 per game, and the senior is the lone player on the team to have started all 19 games. "Tyler is a great team leader," said freshman Jordan Perry. "He always keeps us together and on the same page, and helps us stay composed."
 
Perry has continued to see an uptick in minutes, averaging 31.5 over his past four games. The redshirt freshman is also contributing 9.8 points and 5.3 rebounds in the same time span.
 
Freshman point guard Kendall Denham ranks eighth in the GNAC in assist-turnover ratio at 1.9. Denham's 4.1 assists per game is the seventh-best mark in the conference, and he is leading the team with 33.7 minutes per game. The Malta, Mont., native is scoring 5.9 points per game, and leads the team in steals with 16.
 
From 3-point range, Jace Anderson remained No. 3 in the GNAC this week with a percentage of 48.1. The sophomore has started five of the last seven games, a span over which he is averaging 11.6 points and is shooting an even 50 percent from the perimeter. On the season Anderson is averaging 6.5 points, shooting 49.3 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the foul line.
 
Senior Antoine Hosley joins Gataric as a double-digit scorer for the 'Jackets, averaging 12.1 points per game. Hosley is shooting 44.9 percent from the floor and a team-best 73.3 percent from the free-throw line.
 
Marc Matthews is next on the scoring chart for MSUB with 8.5 points per game, and his 26 assists are third-most on the team. Junior Emmanuel Johnson is scoring 6.5 points, ranks second on the team in rebounds with 4.7, and has kept his shooting percentage above .500 at 50.5 on the season from the floor.
 
As a team the 'Jackets are outscored 75.3-69.2, with a shooting percentage of 44.5 from the field on the season. MSUB is also shooting 33.9 percent from 3-point range and 62.0 percent from the foul line. The 'Jackets are close to even in rebounding margin, allowing 34.7 per game while collecting 33.3.
 
MSUB ranks third in the GNAC in 3-point field goal defense, holding opponents to a mark of 33.8 percent from long range.
 
Thursday, January 29 – 8 p.m. MTN – New P.E. Building – Monmouth, OR
Western Oregon University Wolves
2014-15 Record: 16-3, 8-1 GNAC
Head Coach: Brady Bergeson, 4th season
2013-14 GNAC Finish: 4th (18-12, 10-8 GNAC)
 
Currently occupying the top spot in the GNAC standings, the Wolves are riding a GNAC-best six-game winning streak heading into Thursday's game.
 
Most recently, WOU defeated Western Washington 90-87 to snap the Vikings' 14-game home winning streak dating back to last season. The Wolves' last lost was against Seattle Pacific on Jan. 1, and the team has won 15 of its last 16 games overall.
 
"It will be a big challenge, they are in first place in our league right now," Stevens said regarding facing the Wolves. "We are excited about the opportunity to play a really good Western Oregon team on Thursday."
 
Leading the way for WOU has been Andy Avgi, whose 17.1 points per game are the fifth-most in the GNAC. The junior is shooting 59.5 percent from the field, also the fifth-best mark in the league, and is adding 5.6 rebounds per game.
 
Jordan Wiley and Julian Nichols are also scoring in double figures for the Wolves at 11.5 and 11.4 points per game, respectively. Wiley has been the top 3-point shooter for WOU this season, connecting on 49 of 103 attempts for a GNAC-fourth best percentage of 47.6 from downtown. Nichols is leading the GNAC in free-throw percentage at 90.5, and his 5.8 assists per game are the second-most in the conference.
 
Devon Alexander and Lewis Thomas have also started all 19 games for the Wolves this season, with the former averaging 9.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Thomas is contributing 7.8 points, and is the team's leading rebounder with 6.9 per game. Marwan Sarhan has been a consistent contributor off the bench with 8.5 points, 4.3 rebounds and a field-goal percentage of 48.5 on the season.
 
As a team WOU ranks third in scoring at 80.9 points per game and second in scoring defense at 67.1 points allowed per game. The Wolves are the top free-throw shooting team in the GNAC at 77.9 percent, and the team also shoots well from the field (47.7 percent) and from 3-point range (38.4 percent). WOU's rebounding margin of plus-6.1 ranks No. 2 in the GNAC.
 
Last Time Out: The 'Jackets played the Wolves tough at home, losing 72-64 on Jan. 3 at Alterowitz Gym. Hosley led MSUB with 17 points and Johnson had a season-best 16, but Avgi trumped them both with 23 points on 11 of 15 shooting to lead WOU to victory.
 
The Series: MSUB holds a narrow 10-9 all-time advantage in the series with WOU, but the Wolves have won the last three meetings between the two.
 
Saturday, January 31 – 8 p.m. MTN – Marcus Pavilion – Lacey, WA
Saint Martin's University Saints
2014-15 Record: 5-14, 2-7 GNAC
Head Coach: Michael Ostlund, 2nd season
2013-14 GNAC Finish: 8th (9-17, 6-12 GNAC)
 
Currently enduring a six-game losing skid, the Saints will look to rebound against Seattle Pacific on Thursday before Saturday's meeting with the Yellowjackets.
 
SMU is averaging just 67.3 points per game during the stretch while allowing 78.7.
 
"Saint Martin's is a big tempo team, and they have done a good job of slowing the game down," Stevens said. "It will just come down to getting more stops than they do and making more shots at the offensive end."
 
On the season freshman guard Trey Ingram is leading the team with 10.4 points per game while shooting 44.3 percent from 3-point range. Ingram is the lone player to have started all 19 games for the Saints, and his 3.7 assists are ninth-most in the conference.
 
Also averaging in double-digits in scoring for SMU is Riley Carel, who currently sits at 10.1 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Carel ranks second on the team with 57 assists behind Ingram's 71, and he leads the Saints with 21 steals on the season.
 
Tyler Idowu has provided consistent numbers for SMU, with 8.8 points and a team-best 5.4 rebounds. Ryan Rogers is another strong contributor with 8.1 points and 4.7 boards.
 
Currently leading the GNAC in 3-point field-goal percentage is Isaac Bianchini, who holds a mark of 49.2 from behind the arc.
 
As a team SMU averages 68.3 points per game while allowing 74.7. The Saints shoot 42.6 percent from the field, 37.3 percent from the 3-point arc and 64.7 percent from the foul line. The Saints rank fourth in the GNAC in 3-point field-goal defense, holding opponents to 34.1 percent from the arc.
 
Last Time Out: Four 'Jackets scored in double figures but MSUB came up one point short in a 66-65 home loss to SMU. Carel led the Saints to victory, connecting on 6 of 16 shots and 7 of 9 from the foul line en route to a game-high 19 points.
 
The Series: With the recent victory by SMU, the all-time series is now even between the teams at 12 wins apiece. MSUB is 7-5 at home against SMU, and 5-7 on the road. SMU has won the last two meetings and three of the last four. MSUB has won five of the last eight dating back to the 2010-11 season.