SEATTLE, Wash. — For the first time in nearly four decades, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team swept the season series with the Seattle Pacific Falcons with a 70-54 road win on Saturday afternoon.
 
In typical fashion, the Yellowjackets (11-11, 7-5 GNAC) out-rebounded the Falcons by a 39-28 margin, held SPU scoreless for an eight-minute stretch in the first half and held SPU to shooting a measly 36.8% from the floor.
 
"We really did a lot of things right today, but our defense and rebounding carried us," MSUB head coach Mick Durham said. "We also had balanced scoring with four players in double figures. Seattle Pacific is a tough place to play and win, but our guys were up to the challenge and got us a good, late road win."
 
For the second-straight game, Damen Thacker led the way for MSUB with 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists while playing all 40 minutes. Nicholas Sebastiao scored 12 of his 13 points on three pointers and added six rebound, while Carrington Wiggins and Bilal Shabazz finished with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Emmanuel Ajanaku had eight points, nine rebounds and a career-high four steals in the win.
 
QUICK HITS

• MSUB opened the game on a 16-4 run in the first 8 minutes and 6 seconds.
• MSUB committed just eight turnovers while forcing 10.
• Damen Thacker was named the St. Vincent Healthcare Player of the Game for his game-high 18 points, seven rebounds and three assists. He also committed just one turnover in 40 minutes of action.
• Shaw Anderson led the way for the Falcons with 15 points.

 
The Falcons scored on their opening possession on a layup from Zach Paulsen. That would be all for them over the span of the next eight minutes.
 
MSUB quickly took an 11-2 lead off threes from Nicholas Sebastiao, Carrington Wiggins and Bilal Shabazz – plus a pair of free throws from Emmanuel Ajanaku. With 13:29 to go, Sebasitao's second three made it a 16-2 ballgame. Meanwhile, Seattle Pacific missed 10 shots in a row before Divant'e Moffitt's steal and ensuing transition layup snapped the Falcons' scoreless streak at the 11:54 mark. Yet MSUB got a response from a three on the next possession from Brent Finn.
 
Seattle Pacific went on a 9-0 run to try getting back into the game, but Finn delivered once more with a basket to put MSUB up 21-13 near the midway point of the first half. Then the game see-sawed with baskets from Thacker, Malik Brikat and finally with a 6-0 run sparked by Thacker's third field goal of the half. Leading 30-20 at the final media timeout, Thacker sank two free throws to make it a 13-point game, then SPU went on a 5-0 run to cut it to single digits, yet Sam Elliott's three with 2:31 to go made it a 36-25 ballgame. The 'Jackets would close the half on four-straight points from Wiggins to take a 42-28 lead at the break.
 
Unlike the previous half, both teams came out hot to start the second half. Although the Falcons scored on three of their first four possessions, MSUB countered with field goals from Shabazz, Thacker and Ajanaku.
 
The Falcons would cut into the Yellowjackets' double-digit lead just once from that point onward. A three from Harry Cavell made it a 48-39 ballgame, but five-straight points from Sebastiao gave the Yellowjackets a 53-39 advantage with 15:54 to go. MSUB would take a 14-point lead on a jumper from Shabazz, then once again on Thacker's three with 10:44 remaining to put the 'Jackets up 62-48.
 
However, both teams fell into a rut for nearly five minutes. Aided by their double-digit cushion, the 'Jackets relied on their defense, holding SPU to 0-for-7 shooting and forcing five turnovers in an 8 minute and 40 second stretch. Ajanku's layup with 5:18 to go helped make the score 64-50, then Sebastiao made his lone two-pointer of the night with 3:30 left to push MSUB's lead to 16. A free throw from Shabazz gave the 'Jackets their largest lead, 69-52, with 1:33 remaining, then Thacker's free throw with 11 seconds left put the finishing touches on the 70-54 win.
 
KEY STATS

• All eight Yellowjackets to log minutes scored.
• MSUB limited GNAC Preseason Player of the Year Divant'e Moffitt to 9 points on 3-for-11 shooting.
• The Yellowjackets held SPU without a field goal for 8 minutes and 40 seconds in the second half.
• MSUB's seventh GNAC win was not only a one-win improvement from the last full conference season in 2019-20, but also was the second-most conference wins for the team in the Mick Durham era. The Yellowjackets went 10-10 in Durham's first season in Billings in 2018-19.

 
UP NEXT: The 'Jackets head to Western Washington for a Monday night game at 7 p.m. PT. Livestream and live stat links can be found on the men's basketball schedule page at msubsports.com.