NAMPA, Ida. – Despite a stellar 27-point performance by senior guard
Jalen Tot, the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team (11-8, 2-4 GNAC) fell short in a hard-fought contest against Northwest Nazarene in the Johnson Sports Center earlier this evening. The Nighthawks (12-2, 5-1 GNAC) who received votes in the most recent NABC Coaches Poll, claimed the 76-70 victory after outscoring the 'Jackets 10-4 in the final minutes of play.
Tot, who led all scorers on the court, posted his second straight 27-point performance while shooting 10-16 from the field and 4-7 from beyond the arch with four steals and three rebounds to add. Following was
Kael Robinson with 14 points on 5-9 shooting and
Famous Lefthand with 11 points on 5-10 shooting. Lighting up the stat sheet on the other side of the ball was
Cooper Dewitt who posted a team best nine rebounds, four steals, and three assists.
Despite falling six points short, the Yellowjackets narrowly outshot the Nighthawks 48.3-46.7 from the field fell short in three point and free throw efficiency. MSUB, the #5 ranked team in the nation for free throw percentage (80.97) had an uncharacteristic 58.3 percent free throw percentage. Where NNU created their separation was in transition, outscoring the 'Jackets 16-8 on fast breaks and 17-8 in second chance points. Playing a majority of the game in zone, the Yellowjacket defense had one of their best performances in recent history, forcing 12 turnovers with 11 steals and six blocks.
HEAR FROM COACH FENNELLY: "Proud of our guys fight tonight, Northwest Nazarene is a tough place to play but our guys battled until the end. We had good looks in the final three minutes of play but sometimes they don't fall, and that's life on the road. We're starting to get our health back which is nice to see, so hopefully we can continue to improve and get back to being us. Excited for a great challenge on Saturday at Central Washington."
FIRST HALF
The game began with Northwest Nazarene going on an 11-0 run, all courtesy of Kyle Dickson. Tot responded quickly with a three-point play to get MSUB on the scoreboard. The Yellowjackets found their rhythm, going on a 14-2 run, capped by a Tot three-pointer to give them their first lead. MSUB continued to apply defensive pressure, forcing eight turnovers and recording eight steals by this point in the period. The teams traded baskets, and the Yellowjackets entered halftime with a slim 34-33 lead, largely thanks to Tot's remarkable 22 points and four steals.
SECOND HALF
MSUB started the second half strong, opening with a 6-3 run to regain a four-point lead. However, the game quickly turned into a back-and-forth offensive battle, with both teams combining for 43 points in just eight minutes. The Nighthawks regained the lead, 62-58, at the 6:47 mark, which was their largest lead of the night since the opening minutes. The teams continued to exchange baskets, but a late 7-0 run by Northwest Nazarene gave them a 74-66 advantage with just under two minutes left. Despite late buckets from Dewitt and Johnson and a strong effort from MSUB, NNU held on to secure the 76-70 victory.
STATISTIC LEADERS
POINTS: Jalen Tot (27);
Kael Robinson (14)
REBOUNDS: Cooper Dewitt (9);
Hanniel Ouattara (6)
ASSISTS: Cooper Dewitt (3); Five players tied (1)
STEALS: Jalen Tot (4);
Cooper Dewitt (4)
BLOCKS: Fares Kacem (4);
Jajuan Tot (1);
Brendon Johnson (1)
THE BUZZ: Jalen Tot was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting his second straight 27-point performance on 10-16 from the field and 4-7 from three with three rebounds, four steals, and one assist.
UP NEXT: The Montana State Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team stays on the road for another Great Northwest Athletic Conference matchup against the Central Washington University Wildcats at 7:15 PM (MT) in Ellensburg, WA. Live statistics for the Saturday night game can be found
here, and the live stream can be found
here.
