BILLINGS, Mont. – It came down to the final second in the final game of the 2016-17 Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball season, as a missed three by Northwest Nazarene University was the final piece of the puzzle in sending the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team to the conference tournament for the first time in three seasons.
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The Yellowjackets (14-14, 9-11 GNAC) entered their final game at Western Oregon University on Saturday needing a handful of results around the league to tilt in their favor, and even after a 72-56 loss to the Wolves, MSUB's ticket was punched to the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Yellowjackets' early-season road win at conference champion Western Washington, and their home win against second-place Alaska Anchorage helped the team break a three-way tie with NNU and Central Washington for sixth place.
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"The guys are excited, and in the end, you play a 28-game season with a goal to extend the year," said MSUB head coach
Jamie Stevens. "We have tried to emphasize to the guys not to feel like we are backing into the tournament. We won at Bellingham, and we beat Anchorage here, and there's a reason why we are going to the tournament. We feel like we can compete with anybody."
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The opening game of the GNAC Championships will tip off at 5:15 p.m. Pacific time Thursday, as the Yellowjackets face a rematch against the Wolves. The six-team men's championship, along with the six-team women's tournament, is hosted by Saint Martin's University at Marcus Pavilion in Lacey, Wash.
Tickets are available for purchase online through Event Brite here, and will also be available at the door.
2016-17 GNAC MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIPS – TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Marcus Pavilion | Saint Martin's University | Lacey, Wash. (All times Pacific)
Thurs., Mar. 2
No. 3 Western Oregon vs. No. 6 Montana State Billings, 5:15 p.m.
No. 4 Saint Martin's vs. No. 5 Concordia, 7:30 p.m.
Fri., Mar. 3
Winner of 3/6 Game vs. No. 2 Alaska Anchorage, 5:15 p.m.
Winner of 4/5 Game vs. No. 1 Western Washington, 7:30 p.m.
Sat., Mar. 4
Championship Game, 7:30 p.m.
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The winner of the single-elimination GNAC tournament receives an automatic berth into the 2016-17 NCAA Division II West Region Championships, scheduled for March 9-11 at the site of the No. 1 seed.
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Jace Anderson (23) and Marc Matthews have
led MSUB back to the conference
tournament for the first time since their
freshman year.
LIVE COVERAGE: All games of the 2016-17 GNAC Men's Basketball Championships will be streamed live on GNAC.tv, with Rob Lowery of Central Washington University providing play-by-play coverage. Live statistics will also be available in addition to the live webcast.Â
SENIORS ARE PLAYOFF BOUND: For senior
Marc Matthews, who has 1,266 points and is 13 away from moving to No. 10 in Yellowjacket career history, Thursday's game will carry extra meaning as the first postseason contest of his four-year career.
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It was Matthews' huge game-winning shot with three seconds left in the home win against UAA that helped give the 'Jackets the nod in the tiebreaker and make the tournament. He is averaging 14.6 points, second most on the team, and leads the GNAC with 83 made threes this season (3.0 per game).
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MSUB last made the tournament during Matthews' freshman year in 2013-14, but the guard missed the team's 69-59 quarterfinal loss to Alaska with an injury. The senior is also No. 7 in MSUB history with 219 career made 3-pointers, and enters the week No. 39 all-time in GNAC scoring history.Â
"It means a lot to get to play in the tournament, and one of the goals I set for myself was to help the team get here," said Matthews.
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MSUB Men's Basketball All-Time Scoring Leaders (as of March 1, 2017)
Senior Marc Matthews needs 13 more
points to break into the MSUB career top-10.
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| Rank |
Name |
Points |
| 1. |
Roy McPipe |
1883 |
| 2. |
Cameron Munoz |
1879 |
| 3. |
Les Heins |
1726 |
| 4. |
Jim Soft |
1558 |
| 5. |
Bart Bauer |
1547 |
| 6. |
Markus Hallgrimson |
1470 |
| 7. |
Titus Warmsley |
1467 |
| 8. |
Mark Hamilton |
1463 |
| 9. |
Reece Gliko |
1388 |
| 10. |
Buddy Windy Boy |
1278 |
| 11. |
Marc Matthews |
1266 |
Fellow senior
Jace Anderson will be making his second appearance in a conference tournament game, as he saw action in 12 minutes as a freshman three seasons ago. He is the only player on MSUB's roster with GNAC tournament experience, with one steal and one shot attempt in his game against the Nanooks.
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GNAC Player of the Year candidates
Preston Beverly (1) and Tanner Omlid (11)
will lead their teams into the
GNAC tournament with a
meeting on Thursday night.
The Whitewater, Mont., native is also wrapping up a memorable career, averaging 9.6 points in his final season after recovering from off-season knee surgery. Anderson is No. 8 in MSUB history with a career 3-point field-goal percentage of 41.4, and his 130 total makes from the arc are 12th-most in school history. "It's been a long couple years since we last made the tournament, and this will mean a lot to us," Anderson said referring to himself and his fellow senior Matthews. "It's going to be a tough game, and it's going to come down to who can make more plays. I like our matchup, and I know the guys are going to give everything they have."
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NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP FOR BEVERLY: Breaking out into one of the best players in the league this year, reigning GNAC Freshman of the Year
Preston Beverly continues to be the only player to rank in the top-5 in the GNAC in scoring (19.1 ppg, fourth), rebounding (8.3 rpg, fifth), and blocked shots (1.8 bpg, fourth). He is coming off a 25-point, 8-rebound effort against Concordia, and added 15 points and six rebounds against the Wolves. Sitting at 898 career points, Beverly will break the 900 mark with his next bucket and is quickly on his way to becoming just the 23rd player in the 90-year history of MSUB men's basketball to reach 1,000 career points.Â
DENHAM BIG DOWN THE STRETCH: MSUB has received a major boost from junior guard
Kendall Denham down the stretch this season, as he is averaging 10.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists over his last seven games. He has also been an x-factor defensively with at least one steal in each game, while averaging upwards of 30 minutes.
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TALL COMING OFF CAREER BEST: Junior
Kamal Tall recorded his first-ever double-double, with a career-high 19 points and 10 rebounds against Concordia last week. Tall followed with a dozen points and eight rebounds against WOU, while playing a season-high 34 minutes. The big man for the 'Jackets has progressively improved this season, and is averaging 6.5 points and 5.0 rebounds overall.
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28 GAMES DOWN: With the 28-game regular-season schedule complete, the 'Jackets rank eighth in the GNAC in scoring margin at a nearly-even 79.9 points per game and 80.0 allowed. MSUB is No. 6 in rebounding margin, also nearly even at 36.9 boards per game and 36.8 for its opponents.
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MSUB is 10th in overall field-goal percentage at 43.3, and is No. 5 in 3-point field-goal percentage at 36.7. From the foul line, MSUB is second in the league with a stellar mark of 76.0 percent. The 'Jackets are also one of the best teams when it comes to second-chance opportunities, as MSUB ranks No. 2 in the league with 12.7 offensive rebounds per game. MSUB also leads the GNAC in made threes per game with 9.6.
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'JACKETS IN THE GNAC TOURNEY: Since its inception in 2011-12, this is MSUB's fourth trip to the conference tournament. The 'Jackets made history by winning the conference tournament five years ago, in Stevens' first year as head coach. This will be the team's third trip back since, with both other appearances ending with a first-round loss to the University of Alaska.
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MSUB Men's Basketball All-Time Results at GNAC Championships
| Season |
Round |
Opponent |
Result |
| 2011-12 |
Quarterfinals |
#4 Western Oregon |
W, 80-75 |
| 2011-12 |
Semifinals |
#1 Western Washington |
W, 82-78 |
| 2011-12 |
Finals |
#2 Alaska Anchorage |
W, 74-70 |
| 2012-13 |
Quarterfinals |
#4 Alaska Fairbanks |
L, 87-73 |
| 2013-14 |
Quarterfinals |
#3 Alaska Fairbanks |
L, 69-59 |
| 2016-17 |
Quarterfinals |
#3 Western Oregon |
Thursday, 5:15 PM (PST) |
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*2011-12 GNAC Champions
All-Time Record: 3-2
2011-12 – MSUB No. 5 seed (18-12, 10-8 GNAC)
2012-13 – MSUB No. 5 seed (16-14, 9-9 GNAC)
2013-14 – MSUB No. 6 seed (12-15, 8-10 GNAC)
2016-17 – MSUB No. 6 seed (14-14, 9-11 GNAC)
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Stevens (left) led MSUB to a GNAC title in his first year in 2011-12.
Current Yellowjackets All-Time Against WOU
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WOLVES A WORTHY OPPONENT: Western Oregon is the reigning GNAC regular-season and tournament champion, as well as the reigning NCAA Division II West Region champion as the Wolves made a historic run
into the Final Four in 2015-16. The loss of four senior starters, including west-region Player of the Year and All-American Andi Avgi, prevented WOU from a repeat title, but the Wolves finished strong in the GNAC in third place at 16-12 overall and 13-7 in league play for third place.
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MSUB picked up its first GNAC win on Dec. 5 with a 79-71 triumph over Western Oregon at Alterowitz Gym in Billings. Matthews led the team with 20 points on 4 of 9 shooting from the arc, and Beverly chipped in 13 points and eight rebounds.
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The 'Jackets shot extremely well in the home win at 50.9 percent from the floor, and 45.5 percent from the arc (10-for-22). The hot shooting was absent in Saturday's 72-56 loss however, as MSUB shot just 31.5 percent overall and made only 3 of 21 3-pointers. Anderson led the team with 16 points Saturday, while Beverly had 15 on 9-for-11 accuracy from the foul line.
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MSUB's Kamal Tall defends against WOU's
Akil Reese (0) during the teams' meeting in
Billings on Dec. 5, won by MSUB 79-71.
OMINOUS OMLID: The 'Jackets must be conscious of GNAC Player of the Year candidate Tanner Omlid, who is the only player in the GNAC to match Beverly in terms of all-around excellence. Entering the tournament, Omlid ranks 12th in the league in scoring (15.3 ppg), eighth in rebounding (7.5 rpg), fifth in assists (3.6 apg), first in steals (3.2 spg), and sixth in blocked shots (1.6 bpg). He is the only player in the top-12 in all five major statistical categories.Â
Omlid's effect was on full display Saturday, as he scored a team-high 17 points, and had eight rebounds, five assists, three steals, and a block in 34 minutes. In MSUB's home win over WOU, the senior put up equally impressive numbers with 15 points, six assists, five rebounds, five steals, and three blocks in 34 minutes.
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"Western Oregon is really good and is well-coached, and they have a guy who I think is the best in the league in Omlid," Stevens said. "We competed hard against them (Saturday), we just didn't make enough shots."
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Along with Omlid, Ali Faruq-Bey is a double-figure scorer with 14.8 points per game. He ranks second on the team with 59 assists and 45 steals, and is chipping in 3.9 rebounds per game.
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Demetrius Trammell is the team's top perimeter shooter at 40.7 percent (61-for-150), and is averaging 9.0 points per game. JJ Chirnside is No. 2 on the team in rebounding at 4.8, while adding 7.5 points.
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The Wolves outscore their opponents 74.7-70.9, but get outrebounded 37.2-33.8. WOU shoots 43.5 percent from the floor, 35.0 percent from long range, and 72.1 percent from the foul line.
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After Saturday's loss, MSUB is 11-13 all-time against the Wolves. The 'Jackets won the only neutral-site game between the teams, which was the first-round meeting in the 2012 conference championships.
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MSUB AGAINST THE TOURNEY FIELD (2016-17 Regular Season & All-Time Records)
| Team |
Home |
Away |
Total |
All-Time Record |
Streak |
Last 10 |
| #1 WWU |
L, 81-68 |
W, 100-93 |
1-1Â |
6-21 (1-0 Neutral) |
Lost 1 |
3-7 |
| #2 UAA |
W, 69-68 |
L, 74-58 |
1-1Â |
31-43 (2-1 Neutral) |
Lost 1 |
4-6 |
| #3 WOU |
W, 79-71 |
L, 72-56 |
1-1Â |
11-13 (1-0 Neutral) |
Lost 1 |
3-7 |
| #4 SMU |
W, 92-83 |
L, 106-58 |
1-1Â |
14-14 (0-0 Neutral) |
Won 1 |
4-6 |
| #5 CU |
L, 92-82 |
L, 79-77 |
0-2 |
3-2 (0-0 Neutral) |
Lost 2 |
3-2 |
Note: MSUB is the only team in the GNAC outside of the top-4 to have beaten each of the top-4 teams this season.
