LACEY, Wash.
– The Montana State Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team (11-5, 2-1 GNAC) dropped their first matchup of 2025 to the Saint Martin's Saints (15-2, 4-0 GNAC) 82-70 earlier this evening at the Marcus Pavilion in Lacey, Washington.
The contest was tightly contested in several statistical categories, with MSUB edging out the Saints in assists (20-17), fast break points (13-9), and blocks (2-1). However, Saint Martin's shooting efficiency proved to be the difference as they shot 50% from the field, compared to the Yellowjackets' 38%. MSUB was able to maintain their reputation as one of the top three-point shooting teams in the conference, outshooting SMU 29-26 from beyond the arc and posting an impressive 88% from the free-throw line.
HEAR FROM FENNELLY: "Give Saint Martin's a lot of credit, they got us on our heels in the first half and made some tough shots to get their confidence going. I'm proud of how our guys kept fighting to make it a single digit ball game in the second half but turnovers made it too tough to fully come back from against a good team on the road. That was our first time seeing a tough zone defense like theirs and we will learn and get better from it. Looking forward to come back home and continue some GNAC basketball."
Brendon Johnson led the offensive charge for the Yellowjackets, scoring 18 points on 5-11 from the field, 4-9 from three, and 4-4 from the line while tallying three boards, two assists, and one steal. Close behind and coming off a career-high in an MSUB uniform was
Famous Lefthand. The senior guard dropped 17 points on the night while shooting 6-15 from the field with six rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
Also in double-digits was
Kael Robinson who bested his season average with 15 points while shooting 7-16 from the field with five boards, one block, and dished it out four times.
Jalen Tot found himself contributing in other ways than just scoring, leading the team with seven rebounds and four assists while also posting nine points and a pair of steals.
FIRST HALF
Saint Martin's came out hot, quickly establishing a 13-0 lead, sparked by a pair of three-pointers. The Yellowjackets responded with a corner three from Tot and a basket inside from
Hanniel Ouattara. MSUB trimmed the deficit to single digits, with Robinson scoring a layup and Lefthand hitting a three. However, the Saints went on a 15-3 run, extending their lead to 34-13 with just under 10 minutes left in the first half. MSUB made a push, closing the gap with a 7-0 run, but Saint Martin's maintained control, taking a 48-32 lead into halftime.
SECOND HALF
The Yellowjackets came out strong in the second half, with Robinson scoring quickly and Johnson hitting a deep three from the logo. Saint Martin's responded, pushing their lead back to 19 points midway through the second period. However, Tot caught fire, hitting two consecutive step-back threes, followed by a powerful dunk from Robinson, bringing the Yellowjackets to within 12. Lefthand's third three of the night cut the deficit to nine points with just over three minutes left, but late free throws from Saint Martin's sealed the win for the Saints, who claimed the 82-70 victory.
STATISTIC LEADERS
POINTS: Brendon Johnson (18);
Kael Robinson (15)
REBOUNDS: Jalen Tot (7);
Famous Lefthand (6)
ASSISTS: Kael Robinson (4);
Famous Lefthand (4);
Jalen Tot (4);
Jajuan Tot (4)
STEALS: Jalen Tot (2);
Jajuan Tot (2);
Cooper Dewitt (2)
BLOCKS: Kael Robinson (1);
Cooper Dewitt (1)
THE BUZZ: Brendon Johnson was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting 18 points while shooting 5-11 from the field, 4-9 from beyond the arch, and 4-4 from the line with three rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
UP NEXT: The Montana State Billings Yellowjacket men's basketball team returns home to the big sky country for two home GNAC matchups against the Simon Fraser Red Leaf's on January 9
th and the Western Washington Vikings on January 11
th. For both home games, the live stream link can be found
here, and the live statistics link can be found
here.
