BILLINGS, Mont. –A person standing within earshot of the 2018-19 Montana State University Billings men's basketball team would be likely to hear the phrase "Man, that guy can really cook," on a fairly frequent basis. Out of context, one might assume they had referenced an above average pregame meal or a team dinner.
 
Rather, the sentiment echoed a substantial compliment from one basketball player to another. It meant the player was capable of embarrassing defenders on the hardwood by exhibiting one or more astonishing offensive moves. Maybe they possessed a step-back, or a crossover, or a fadeaway. Looking back on the men's basketball season, it became abundantly clear the 2018-19 Yellowjackets had some guys who could indeed...cook.
 
Flanked by a new head coach and nine new players, MSU Billings finished with a winning record for the first time in seven seasons. They also won 10 Great Northwest Athletic Conference games and qualified for the conference tournament as the No. 5 seed, marking a successful 2018-19 campaign.
 
"We had a lot of close games this year but I felt we accomplished what we set out to do," said head coach Mick Durham. "In this first year, we wanted to start building with the right guys that would do the right things both on and off the court. We had some good character players this season and we just asked them to represent the program well and be committed."
 
The Yellowjackets tipped off against a pair of Division I opponents in road exhibitions to start the year. Grand Canyon University provided a shock to the system on October 30 by defeating MSUB 97-60 in front of a raucous sold out crowd of over 6,000 fans. The 'Jackets came tantalizingly close to an upset in their next game against University of Nevada Las Vegas but fell 83-81 at Thomas A. Mack Center after allowing a last second layup.
 
 
"Being able to play two DI schools right away was just a great experience," commented Durham. "The best part to me was the improvement we had from game one to game two. We made it a heck of a game at UNLV and to see us play so much better was encouraging. It was only two games that got us ready for the season, but the guys would tell you it was one of their favorite trips of the year."
 
The regular season began with a pair of losses in the West Region Crossover Tournament. Point Loma Nazarene scored 57 second half points to win by 25 points. The Sea Lions later earned the No. 1 seed in the NCAA Division II west region tournament. The 'Jackets lost to Fresno Pacific University by eight points in the second game in San Diego.
 
Back in the friendly confines of Alterowitz Gymnasium, wins began to flood in. The 'Jackets overcame University of Mary, Minot State, and crosstown rival Rocky Mountain College before they fell on a buzzer beater 3-pointer by California State Dominguez Hills.
 
A quick regroup enabled MSUB to sweep Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska Anchorage at home to open GNAC play and the team added another victory over Rocky Mountain College to take the season series 2-0 (the first counted as an exhibition).
 
"There is no question the toughness of our non-conference schedule helped us prepare for the GNAC," Durham said. "Those first three games we knew were solid opponents and then some of the other teams we played at home ended up having strong seasons as well. Black Hills State and Cal State Dominguez Hills are good examples. The non-conference schedule set us up for a 2-0 start the GNAC for sure."
 
Continuing through the conference schedule, the Yellowjackets had marked success in Billings but struggled mightily on the road. MSUB finally broke through with an overtime road win against Western Washington 81-72 but ping-ponged in and out of playoff position in the standings.
 
"We had a tough time keeping the momentum going when we were on the road and that's sometimes indicative of a new team," Durham reflected on MSUB's road woes. "We really didn't grasp how to win away from home until the last weekend of the season in Alaska. We competed well in most road games but often we couldn't stay with teams in the second half of games."
 
The Yellowjackets lost notably to Simon Fraser 112-17 in January after the home team prevailed at the triple overtime buzzer. Five MSUB players set career highs for minutes played and Tyler Green hit a 3-pointer from nearly half-court to send the contest into a second extra session, resulting in the most thrilling basketball game of 2018-19.
 
 
In Billings, the Yellowjackets swept Western Washington and Simon Fraser and appeared destined for a playoff berth heading down the stretch run, but road losses to eventual playoff teams Seattle Pacific and No. 11 Saint Martin's ushered in a must win scenario for the season's final road trip.
 
In the season's critical juncture on February 28, MSU Billings triumphed over University of Alaska Anchorage 67-56. Sophomore guard Kobe Terashima led the team with a double-double, enabling the 'Yellowjackets to continue closing the gap for a top six spot. Two days later, MSUB beat Alaska Fairbanks decisively to clinch a playoff berth and earn the No. 5 seed in the GNAC Championships.
 
"We fought our way through the first half," Durham said of the game against Alaska Anchorage. "It wasn't pretty. We got off to a good start in the second half, fed off the momentum and played great the last eight minutes to pull away. It was a gutty performance. I felt some urgency there and in the last minutes of the game, we seemed to want it just a little bit more."
 
The conference quarterfinals pitted MSU Billings against No. 4 seed Western Oregon University. The defending GNAC champions had won both games against the 'Jackets in the regular season by a combined 48 points and were the most efficient defensive team in the league. The last time MSUB made the post-season was 2016-17 and the Wolves were victorious in the quarterfinal matchup.
 
 
This time the Yellowjackets fought to a 32-32 halftime tie but ultimately fell 79-72. Zack Rollins had 23 points and four assists for MSUB and Brendan Howard notched 20 points and six rebounds. The Wolves went on to defeat top-seed Saint Martin's but lost in the Championship game to Seattle Pacific University 78-66. WOU also qualified for the Division II west region tournament.
 
"It was a really good basketball game for both teams," Durham said. "I thought the start of the second half WOU found ways to get that little bit of separation that put us back on our heels a little bit and we had to play catch up from there. We definitely got chances against one of the top-8 teams in the region though so I was proud of how we competed. It was just a tough matchup against a good team and I felt we earned the right to walk out of there with our heads held high."
 
The Yellowjackets received balanced scoring from six players all season long. Forward Brendan Howard played all 29 games with seven starts and led the team with 15.7 points per game (fifth best in the GNAC). Howard also collected 5.2 rebounds per game and shot 53.5-percent from the field. Always visible low in the paint with a spin move to the rim, Howard was recognized all-GNAC honorable mention as well as GNAC freshman of the year.
 
 
Melvin Newbern Jr. added to MSUB's inside scoring and had a team high four double-doubles. The junior posted a season high 22 points against Black Hills State and pulled in 16 rebounds in a game against Northwest Nazarene. Despite missing a pair of games due to a concussion, the Minneapolis native finished third in the conference with 201 total rebounds. His 1.8 steals per game were also eighth best in the GNAC.
 
Tyler Green patrolled the offensive perimeter for the Yellowjackets and became the league leader with 94 made 3-pointers (3.2 per game). When teams tried to match up against Green to prevent his potent 3-point shot, he often drove through the lane and showed off his athletic ability. Green ended his junior season second team all-conference and finished seventh in the GNAC in scoring. He posted a season high 34 points against Rocky Mountain College on Dec. 8 and averaged a team high 31.3 minutes per game.
 
The team will have several starting options next year, including Kobe Terashima, Seth Christiaens, Zharon Richmond, Jordan Lehrer, and Beijan Newbern who are all expected to return. Redshirt freshmen Sam Elliott, Sammy Legleu, and Jakim Ricketts could also potentially make an impact.
 
MSU Billings will need to compensate for the losses of senior starters Sven Jeuschede and Zack Rollins, which will be no easy task.

Jeuschede was a model of consistency for the Yellowjackets and a calming presence on the court. He started every game and averaged 26.8 minutes. Among starters, Jeuschede committed the fewest turnovers per game (0.8) and led the team with a 93.8 percent free throw percentage.
 
Jeuschede scored a season high 13 points on February 9 at Western Oregon and notched 41 minutes of playing time in a game against Central Washington. In the aforementioned do-or-die game versus Alaska Anchorage, Jeuschede put up 11 points, double his 5.5 points per game season average.
 
"Sven brought us a lot this year on the perimeter. The biggest thing was he was solid. He barely turned the ball over and didn't make a lot of mistakes. He played within himself and was a big part of our everyday battles."
 
 
Zack Rollins will graduate after earning all-GNAC honorable mention in back-to-back seasons. At times, Rollins was unstoppable with his smooth 3-point shot in transition. He finished third on the team with 14.4 points per game in 29 starts. Rollins scored a career high 31 points against Central Washington on January 5, which eventually earned him GNAC player of the week.
 
"They were two perimeter starters for us," Durham said of Rollins and Jeuschede. "Both were big, physical guys for those positions so they will be difficult to replace. Zack brought us some scoring and athletic ability and Sven had that steadiness that we needed. We will be looking to sign recruits that will come in and help us for sure."
 
 
The Yellowjackets averaged 79.2 points per game and finished the fourth most efficient offense in the conference. MSUB allowed 76.5 points to its opponents (seventh) and ranked sixth in rebounding.
 
"We had a tough time being consistent on defense," said Durham. "Offensively we became a pretty good balance team with Newbern Jr. and Howard inside and then the perimeter shooters Green and Rollins. We try to get a team that can score 80-points a game and we were right there. I think the biggest thing is we have to play a little bit bigger and stronger with another year of experience defensively next year."
 
The 'Jackets made giant strides from the previous season in the category of assist to turnover ratio. MSU Billings racked up 442 assists verses 381 turnovers and were sixth in the GNAC with a +1.2 ratio.
 
"I don't think you ever get to a point where you feel like the turnovers are taken care of on a basketball team because it's such a big part of the game," Durham smiled. "The turnover-assist ratio was a big turnaround this year though and it was one of the first things I talked to the guys about when I started here. Ending up with 60 more assists than turnovers was a big deal for us. It allowed us to finish second in the GNAC in assists this year."

In the MSUB career record book, Zharon Richmond moved up to fifth place in blocks with 71 over the past two seasons. This winter, Richmond and Christiaens tied for the most blocks with 27 apiece. Green is in 13^th position for career 3-pointers made with 139. With one season left at MSUB, he will have a chance to crack the top five but is unlikely to catch Cameron Munoz for the school record, 451 career threes.
 
 
Montana State Billings (15-14, 10-10 GNAC) finished 12-4 at home, 3-8 on the road, and 0-2 at neutral sites this season. With a blend of six returners and nine newcomers, the 'Jackets surpassed their 2017-18 record of 13-18 and doubled their conference win total. Before the first exhibition game, coach Durham talked about the goal of earning back respect in the state of Montana for the MSU Billings men's basketball program. Ending the year with two straight road wins against conference foes were a step in the positive direction.
 
"I thought the team chemistry was pretty good," Durham said. "Guys were accountable and showed up on time. They also worked hard in practice so I felt good about being with them on the court every day. Having a winning season and making the GNAC tournament was a good first step. We want to continue getting better but hopefully we are moving in the right direction."