BILLINGS, Mont. – After coming close to an NCAA Division I upset against UNLV in exhibition action Friday, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team officially begins its' season this week when they participate in the West Region Crossover Tournament in San Diego. On Friday, November 9 the Yellowjackets take on Point Loma Nazarene at 3 p.m. Pacific. Then Saturday, November 10 the team plays Fresno Pacific University at 5:30 p.m. Pacific.
 
Point Loma Nazarene is coming off a 21-10 season and has four returning starters while Fresno Pacific went 0-2 against Great Northwest Athletic Conference opponents a year ago and finished 7-21 overall.
 
"We are excited to get the season started this weekend in San Diego," said head coach Mick Durham. "I really feel our two exhibition games were of great value for us and we showed great improvement from the Grand Canyon game to the UNLV game. These games are against two West Region Division II opponents and will give us a barometer for where we're at. I think we have been practicing well and want to continue to get better each week as we gear ourselves up for our conference games in three weeks."
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets nearly beat NCAA Division I University of Nevada Las Vegas in an exhibition game on Saturday but fell on a last second layup 83-81. MSU Billings shot 47-percent and made 13 baskets from 3-point range. Zack Rollins had a team high 23 points and went 9-for-17 from the field. Melvin Newbern Jr. was also effective offensively and finished with 12 points. Tyler Green had 11 points and Brendan Howard played well in the second half and made a strong play to the rim with 8.1 seconds left to give the Yellowjackets a chance to win.
 
Earlier in the week, MSUB fell 97-60 to Grand Canyon University on the road in the season's first exhibition contest. The Yellowjackets trailed by just nine points at halftime, but turnover margin and better shooting in the second half by the Lopes helped them extend the lead. Rollins and Howard led the offense with 12 point apiece while Zharon Richmond and Melvin Newbern Jr. each chipped in five rebounds.
 
 
MEET THE 2018-19 JACKETS: The Yellowjackets roster features six returning players and nine newcomers. Among the veterans, there are three returning starters, including 6-foot-3 senior Sven Jeuschede (21 starts, 7.2 ppg), 6-foot-7 sophomore Zharon Richmond (21 starts, 10.9 ppg), and 6-foot-6 senior Zack Rollins (28 starts, 15.4 ppg).
 
Rollins played a combination of guard and forward in 2017-18. He led the team in scoring and ranked eighth in the conference in points per game. Rollins also recorded 43 assists and averaged 5.3 rebounds per game (17^th GNAC). The Pelham, New York native was named All-Great Northwest Athletic Conference honorable mention and had one double-double last season.
 
Richmond, a forward had a historic freshman campaign for MSUB and finished with the sixth-most single-season blocks in school history (44). He was ranked fourth on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg) and posted a season high 24 points on February 15 against Saint Martin's.
 
Jeuschede, a native of Roesrath, Germany comes into his senior year after playing all 31 games in 2017-18. At the two guard position, Jeuschede shot 38.5 percent from 3-point range and ranked third on the squad with 50 made 3-pointers and 22.6 minutes per game.
 
Rollins, Jeuschede, and forward Hafeez Abdul (26 games played, six starts) are the three seniors on this year's squad. Coach Durham talked about the importance of leadership on a team trying to improve.
 
Jakim Ricketts (6'2, guard, Livingston, Montana), Beijan Newbern (6'4, guard, New Hope, Minnesota), Sammy Legleu (6'0, guard, Nogales, Arizona), and Sam Elliott (6'7, center, Kalispell, Montana) join the team as freshmen at MSUB.
 
Howard (younger brother of assistant coach Bobby Howard) is listed as a freshman as well but spent a season as a redshirt for the Eastern Washington Eagles, who captured the Big Sky Conference Championship in NCAA Division I.
 
Sophomore point guard Kobe Terashima played all 31 games last season and is known for his ability to distribute and take care of the ball. Terashima led the GNAC with 136 assists (4.4 assists per game) and also chipped in 7.3 points per game.
 
The Yellowjackets added size to the lineup in the form of three junior college transfer students. Melvin Newbern Jr., a 6-foot-4 forward joins MSUB after a stint at North Dakota College of Science, where he was named third team Division I junior college All-American. Newbern Jr. averaged 18.6 points and 10.3 rebounds per game as a sophomore.
 
Seth Christiaens (6-foot-11, center, Broadview, Montana) comes to Billings from North Idaho College, where he appeared in 32 games last season. Jordan Lehrer (6-foot-5, forward, Livingston Montana) also signed after playing two seasons at Umpqua Community College.
 
MSU Billings (13-18, 5-15 GNAC in 2017-18) was ninth in the conference and missed the playoffs last year. The 'Jackets were seventh among eleven teams in scoring (76.7 pts), eighth in scoring defense (77.0 pts.), third in free-throw percentage (.737), and eighth in offensive rebounding (32.8 avg.). MSUB was also sixth in blocked shots (3.4 avg.), eighth in assists (13.9), and sixth in steals (6.0 avg.). The Yellowjackets were No. 1 in the GNAC in 3-point field goals made with 322 (10.4 avg.).
 
Scouting Point Loma Nazarene
Game Day: Friday, November 9 – 3 p.m. Pacific – San Diego, California
2017 Record: 21-10, 15-5 PacWest, 11-4 home, 8-4 away, 2-2 neutral
Head Coach: Ryan Looney (3^rd season)
 
The Sea Lions return all-five of their top scorers, including four all-PacWest selections from 2017. Last year, Point Loma Nazarene lost in the first round of the PacWest Championships to Concordia (California) 69-65. The team then travelled to play No. 1 Western Oregon in the NCAA Division II regional championships and fell 73-66.
 
Back for the Sea Lions are starters Josh Rodriguez (PG, 10.1 ppg, 4.9 apg), Tanner Nelson (SG, 10.1 ppg, .403 3-point %), Sterling Somers (SF, 10.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg), and Ziggy Satterthwaite (C, 11.4 ppg, 6.5 rpg, .643 fg %). Preston Beverly (PF, 15.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, .521 fg %) is expected to step in to a starting role this season after he was the leading scorer off the bench for the Sea Lions in 2017. Point Loma Nazarene will return three key reserves as well, including shooting guard Noah Stapes, center Cameron Gilbert, and shooting guard AJ Firey.
 
Five freshman and three transfers join a large group of Sea Lion veterans. Perhaps the biggest off-season signing was Daulton Hommes, who transferred from Western Washington. Last season, Hommes was a first team All-GNAC selection after averaging 18.1 ppg, 6.0 rpg, and shooting .446 from 3-point range. The other newcomers include freshmen Kaden Anderson, Brock Mackenzie, Zac Bulgin, Frank Kalinski, and David Frohling. Ben Okhotin and Jack Hutchinson are both transfers.
 
The Sea Lions will likely try to work the basketball inside to post options Beverly (6-7, Senior) and Satterthwaite (6-6, senior). Third year head coach Ryan Looney has traditionally run the swing for his offensive system.
 
Point Loma Nazarene was very good defensively a year ago and the Sea Lions led the PacWest in scoring defense. They allowed just 64.5 points per game and opponents shot .423 from the floor. PLNU also led the nation with an 11.9 rebounding margin. The Sea Lions struggled in turnover margin and finished last in the PacWest in the category at -3.39.
 
Friday will be the first ever encounter between Point Loma Nazarene and Montana State Billings, although the Sea Lions saw action against fellow GNAC opponents Saint Martin's and Western Oregon (twice) last season.
 
The Sea Lions have had winning seasons for the last three years. Since Ryan Looney took over as head coach, PLNU is 297-129 overall. The Sea Lions have home court advantage in the West Region Crossover Tournament with games being held at Golden Gymnasium in San Diego. Point Loma Nazarene began competing in the PacWest conference in 2014-15.
 
Scouting Fresno Pacific
Game Day: Saturday, November 10 – 5:30 p.m. Pacific – San Diego, California
2017 Record: 7-21, 5-15 PacWest, 3-10 home, 4-9 away, 0-2 neutral
Head Coach: C.J. Haydock (2^nd season)
 
The Sunbirds finished 12^th out of 14 teams in the PacWest last season and missed the post-season for the fifth straight year. Fresno Pacific last posted a winning record in 2012-13 in its' first season as an NCAA Division II member. Last year, the Sunbirds lost to Saint Martin's and Western Oregon of the GNAC.
 
Fresno Pacific features a young lineup which consists of two seniors, two juniors, six sophomores, and seven freshmen. Of its' 17 players, 11 are from the state of California and four are from Fresno. The Sunbirds will be looking to replace their leading scorer, Sam Burt who graduated and averaged 14.0 ppg.
 
Junior guard Jake Straughan will likely be called upon to pick up the slack. Straughan started all 22 games in 2017-18 and averaged 12.4 ppg and led the team shooting .405 from 3-point range.
 
Last season, the Sunbirds averages 73 ppg (9^th PacWest) and shot 64-percent in free throw opportunities. FPU allowed 81.1 points per game to opponents (13^th, PacWest) and shot .330 from beyond the arc (13^th PacWest). The Sunbirds also averaged 35.1 offensive rebounds per game (7^th PacWest) and 35.6 defensive rebounds per contest (9^th PacWest).
 
Second year head coach C.J. Haydock took over the program after serving as lead-assistant at FPU for one season. The Yellowjackets will play the Sunbirds for the first time in program history on Saturday afternoon.
 
LOOKING AHEAD: After the West Region Crossover Tournament, the Yellowjackets return to Billings for their home opener against University of Mary on November 14 at 7 p.m. MSUB plays Minot State and Rocky Mountain College before hosting the MSUB Thanksgiving Tournament starting on Friday, November 23. The first Great Northwest Athletic Conference game is scheduled for November 27 in Billings.
 
AROUND THE CONFERENCE: Saint Martin's University was picked to win the GNAC in the annual preseason coaches' poll. Seattle Pacific, Western Oregon, Western Washington, and Alaska Anchorage all made the top-five and the Yellowjackets were predicted to finish sixth, three positions higher than 2017-18.