BILLINGS, Mont. – The Yellowjacket's men's basketball team defeated the Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears 82-75on Wednesday night at the Fortin Center as Montana State University Billings competed in their first exhibition match of the season. The game was close throughout with the 'Jackets holding the lead for the majority of the game.
 
"We schedule this game because we know it is going to be a battle," head coach Jamie Stevens said "The teams don't approach this as an exhibition, we know each other and we know we're always going to get their best shot. We treat this as a regular season game and now we get to build off of this. We have 31 more games to go so we've got to keep working."
 
The 'Jackets came out strong in the first half led by senior captain Kendall Denham who paced the team with eight points and three assists in the first 20-minutes of action. MSUB hit 6-of-14 threes in the opening half and took a 44-35 lead into the break. Denham finished the game with a team-leading 18 points on 6-of-8 shooting with three three-pointers and six assists.
 
"Kendall played like a fifth-year senior point guard," Stevens said of his team captain. "He gets it, he's been through it and is a great leader so it is nice to see him produce like this in our first game."
 
Freshman forward and Billings native, Zharon Richmond was a force in the paint for the 'Jackets as he delivered highlight plays on both ends of the floor during the first half. Richmond's first points of the night came on a big one-handed slam as the 6-foot-5 post streaked past the Rocky defense to finish at the rim. Just a few possessions later Richmond used his long frame to pin a shot from Rocky-guard Satchel McDonald off of the backboard. Richmond finished the night with nine points and a team-leading seven rebounds.
 
"A lot of people are going to know Zharon from his days at Skyview but ever since he got here we've felt that people in Billings are going to be hearing a lot of his name," Stevens said of the freshman. "Obviously he had a great high school career but his celling is incredibly high and he is going to be a tremendous college basketball player."
 
Freshman David Simental also starred in the game netting 14-points while shooting 67 percent from the field and making 2-of-3 from long range. Simental wore on the defense as he blitz around screens giving him time to connect with his smooth shooting stroke.
 
After falling into early foul trouble and checking out of the first half with two points on one shot, junior Zack Rollins was a force in the second half. He showed both range and physicality as he sunk two three-pointers and converted multiple drives through the RMC defense on his way to a 13-point performance.
 
"When we were up and half and knew that Zack hadn't been in there for us, we felt pretty good," Stevens added. "If you watch him you can tell he is a big-time talent. I would put him up there with Antoine Proctor and Jarell Crayton in terms of the talent he has and what he is able to do. In the second half he really showed that he is capable of playing the way we need him to."
 
Sophomore transfer Tyler Green hit on 2-of-4 shots from beyond the arch while adding an assist to his first half contributions. Kamal Tall had a consistent presence in the game with six points and six rebounds. Jordan Perry Daniel Shedden and Kobe Terashima each added a bucket for the 'Jackets in the win and Hafeez Abdul finished with four points and two assists. Sven Jeuschede picked up six board in the game and accounted for four points.
 
The 'Jackets will head to Hayward, Calif. To open their regular season at the West Region Crossover Tournament with games on Nov. 10 against Cal State, East Bay and Nov. 11 against Sonoma State University. They will be back in Billings Nov. 14 as they host Yellowstone Christian College at 7 p.m.