BILLINGS, Mont. – The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team won it's third consecutive game and moved to 5-2 at home this season, taking down University of Providence 82-77 in the team's final test before opening conference play.
 
In an intense, back-and-forth battle where both teams shot strong from the field, it would be the Yellowjackets (7-2) who would triumph over the Argos (2-5). MSUB would be outshot and outrebounded narrowly in the game, but would bridge the gap by creating 15 turnovers, generating 19 points off turnovers, and contributions from the bench, where the Yellowjacket's reserves would outscore the Argos' 21-13.
 
Jalen Tot paced the 'Jackets in scoring, dropping 23 points on 8-17 shooting from the field, including a 7-14 mark from beyond the arc. The reigning GNAC and West Region Player of the Year also added a career-high nine rebounds, tied a career-high with five steals, and had four assists. Also putting in an impressive all-round performance was Kael Robinson, who was MSUB's second leading scorer with 14 points. The senior forward went 4-7 from the field, and was a perfect 6-6 from the free throw line. Robinson flirted with a triple-double in the game, grabbing nine boards and dishing out eight assists. The duo led MSUB's offensive attack, helping the Yellowjackets shoot 44.8% from the field as a team, and knock down 13 three-pointers at a 39.4% clip.
 
The first half would begin as a narrowly contested affair, with both teams trading momentum and a narrow lead over the first ten minutes of action. MSUB would knock down five threes in that stretch to drive the offense, but after falling behind once more before the end of the half, the Yellowjackets would respond in a huge way. The 'Jackets would retake the lead at the 5:33 mark, and proceed to finish the half by outscoring the Argos 23-12 until the buzzer sounded for halftime. That stretch was highlighted by three consecutive made triples for Tot, along with clutch makes from Brandon Johnson and Fares Kacem, who combined to help MSUB grow a 47-37 halftime advantage.
 
The Argos wouldn't go down easy however, storming back with a run of their own in the second half to make the Yellowjacket's double-digit lead a short lived one. Providence would manage to scrap back the lead with 10:34 remaining as part of a 15-0 Argo run, but MSUB would manage to turn the tides following a timeout, adjusting to slow down their opponent's offense, and rediscovering their stroke on offense. Robinson would single-handedly score six consecutive points to close the lead, and after a pair of back-to-back threes from Jalen Tot, the Yellowjackets would never trail again. The Argos would get close once more, tying the game at 77 with 1:12 remaining, but the Yellowjackets would receive another clutch triple, this time from Jajuan Tot to reenter the driver's seat, and after clamping up on the Argos' next possession, two more Robinson free throws would make it a two score game, and help MSUB lock up the win.
 
STATISTIC LEADERS
POINTS: Jalen Tot (23); Kael Robinson(14); Famous Lefthand (10); Brendon Johnson (10)
REBOUNDS: Kael Robinson (9); Jalen Tot (9)
ASSISTS: Kael Robinson (8); Jalen Tot (4)
STEALS: Jalen Tot (5); Brendon Johnson (2); Jajuan Tot (2)
BLOCKS: Cooper Dewitt (1); Kael Robinson (1)
 
THE BUZZ: Jalen Tot was selected as the Intermountain Health Player of the Game... He currently stands as the GNAC's fourth leading scorer in points per game, averaging 17.2 per contest… MSUB is set to enter GNAC play next week with the second-best defense in the GNAC, allowing 67.8 points per game.
 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets hit the road to open GNAC play, facing off against Seattle Pacific University at Royal Brougham Pavilion on Saturday, December 7. Live video will be available here, and live statistics will be available here.