BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team returns to Alterowitz to host Seattle Pacific University and Saint Martin's University. On Friday, MSUB will usher in three new members of the Yellowjacket Hall of Fame. Kelly Parsons, Bruce Parker and Bobbi Knudsen will all be honored at halftime of both games on Saturday, February 15. 
 
With just three weeks in the regular season left, MSUB has six games remaining on their schedule and hopefully take inspiration from the inductees to pull off two home wins.  MSUB (9-13, 4-10 GNAC) is currently in ninth place and now three games out of the sixth and final qualifying spot for the tournament.
 
The Yellowjackets still have to play four of the top eight teams and have yet to be mathematically eliminated, but their chances are slim of making the post season. With their backs against a wall, MSUB will have no room for error as they welcome SPU who is the number one team in the league with only one conference loss.
 
"We have put ourselves in a tough spot with three weeks to go," said head coach Mick Durham. "We will compete until our schedule says no more games. SPU is the best team in our league and we are looking forward to completing the entire game. We will need to be at our best on Thursday."
 
LAST TIME OUT: The Yellowjackets lost both their games last week. First MSUB fell to Central Washington University 67-56 last Thursday. MSUB then lost to Northwest Nazarene University 88-80 on Saturday.
 
BY THE NUMBERS: The 'Jackets currently have the seventh ranked offense (76.2 points/game) and the eighth ranked scoring defense (79.7 points game).
 
MSUB is the best rebounding team in the GNAC with an average of 38.1 per game. The Yellowjackets are third in the GNAC with 3.3 blocked shots per game.
 
The Yellowjackets are hitting 44.0 percent of their shots from the field and 34.3 percent from beyond the arc. The team ranks third in Division II in fewest fouls (288) and sixth in personal fouls per game (13.1).
 
Brendan Howard is second in the GNAC and 27^th in the nation in scoring with 21.6 points per game and is third in rebounding with 7.6 per game. Howard combined for 37 points and 14 rebounds last weekend.
 
Tyler Green is seventh in the GNAC with 15.6 points per game. He is tied with Chrishon Dixon for fifth in the GNAC with 3.3 assists per game and leads the conference in free throw percentage converting 50-56 attempts (89.3 percent). He is also second in the GNAC and 16^th in all of Division II in three point shots made with 76 (3.45/game). Green is 10^th in the country with 202 three point attempts.
 
Green currently has 994 points in his career only needing six more to become the 24^th player in MSUB's history to hit 1,000 points.
 
Zharon Richmond is averaging 17.6 points per game and 8.4 rebounds. Richmond has played in 63 percent of MSUB's games and to be ranked in the GNAC one must play in 66 percent of the total games. Where he to qualify, Richmond would be fourth in the GNAC in points per game and tied for the lead in rebounds per game.  
 
Scouting Seattle Pacific University
Game Day: Thursday, February 13-Billings, MT-5:15pm MST
2019 Record: 17-5, 13-1 GNAC, 8-3 home, 9-1 away, 0-1 neutral
2018 Record: 22-7, 16-4 GNAC, 11-1 home, 8-3 away, 3-3 neutral
Head Coach: Grant Leep (3rd Season)   
 
SPU has won 17 of their last 18 games with only loss (and only conference loss) at the hands of fourth ranked team in the league, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks. SPU will look to wrap up the GNAC Tournaments number one seed in the coming games. Last season, MSUB pulled off the upset in Billings as they defeated SPU 92-63 in a win that proved pivotal to MSUB making the tournament. The 'Jackets will look to reproduce the magic from last season to catapult their post season hopes.

The Falcons have got it done this year through defense. They boast the top defense in the league holding opponents to 70.7 points per game. SPU carries the number four ranked offense as they average 80.0 points per game. The Falcons are top three in the GNAC in seven major statistical categories including number one in free throw percentage (80.5 percent), three point defense (33.0 percent) and defense rebounding (30.1/game).
 
Four Falcons are averaging double digit scoring efforts. Divant'e Moffitt leads the team and is fourth in the GNAC averaging 16.7 points per game. Shaw Andersons is 18^th in the league and second on the team with 13.3 points per game. Harry Cavell averages 12.7 per game and leads the team in rebounding with 6.9 per game. Gavin Long is averaging 11.7 in 13 games played this year. Long did not play the first time the two teams met.
 
SPU beat MSUB 83-72 in Seattle on January 18, 2020. The Falcons are 45-32 all-time against the Yellowjackets.
 
Scouting Saint Martin's University
Game Day: Saturday, February 15-Billings, MT- 7:30pm MST
2019 Record: 5-18, 3-11 GNAC, 2-10 home, 3-4 away, 0-0 neutral
2018 Record: 26-6, 17-3 GNAC, 12-1 home, 10-3 away, 4-2 neutral
Head Coach: Head Coach: Aaron Landon (1^st season)
 
One game back of MSUB, SMU is 3-11 in the GNAC and will not make the post season tournament but can play the role of spoiler as the season concludes. Having lost 13 of their last 14, the Saint's only win came against Alaska Fairbanks on February 1^st. MSUB beat SMU in the first matchup on January 16 96-67. The game was arguably MSUB's best game of the year as they made 21 three points shots. Green alone made 12 threes as he tied the GNAC record for threes made in a single game.
 
SMU has the 10^th ranked scoring offense averaging 73.4 points per game and the 11^th ranked defense surrendering 84.6 points per game. As a team, SMU shoots 44.1 percent from the floor including 32.5 from beyond the arc.
 
The Saints have two players in the top 10 of the GNAC for scoring. CJ Jennings is eighth with 15.0 points per game and Demonte Malloy is tenth with 14.9 points per game. MSUB is 15-19 all-time against SMU.
 
IF YOU'RE GOING: Tickets can be purchased at Alterowitz Gymnasium or by calling 406-657-2369. All ticket options are available on game day at the ticket window and online HERE. Thursday night's campus partner is the MSUB Foundation and St. Vincent Healthcare is the Corporate Partner. Thursday is also Pink Night for the Women's Basketball game. All cancer survivors in attendance will be honored prior to tip off and fans are encouraged to wear pink.  
 
On Thursday there will be a contest for best-dressed and most-spirited MSUB group with free pizza awarded to the winners. Men's basketball plays at 5:15 p.m. Thursday with the women to follow at 7:30 p.m. Kathy Kotecki the Dean of Student Engagement and Vice Chancellor for student access and success will be the honorary coach for the MSUB Women's team. Dr. Jim Barron of Evolutionary Biology and Physical Sciences will be the women's basketball honorary guest coach Saturday night.
 
On Saturday, MSUB will be honoring the Hall of Fame inductees at half times of both the Men's game and the Women's game. MSUB Campus Police will be the campus partner for both games and the Hilton Garden Inn will be the game sponsor.
 
IF YOU'RE NOT: Both the Men's and Women's games on Thursday and Saturday will be streamed live with statistics via MSUB's stretch internet portal. Live stats and video is available at msubsports.com.