NEW TOWN, N.D. — The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team (5–1) fell just short against Minot State University (3–1) in a thrilling contest at the 4 Bears Casino and Event Center on Tuesday evening. Despite holding a 52-44 lead at halftime, the Yellowjackets couldn't contain the Beavers' second-half surge, ultimately dropping a 95-90 decision.
Offensively, both teams were nearly identical, each shooting over 44 percent from the field, beyond 31 percent from three-point range, and just under 70 percent from the free-throw line. The game's turning point came in foul trouble for MSUB. Minot capitalized, winning the foul battle 30-19 and scoring 35 points from the charity stripe compared to just 16 for the Yellowjackets.
Mason Landdeck led MSUB offensively, tying his career high with 31 points and adding four rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Senior transfer
Brandon Tchouya was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game, contributing 24 points on 9-of-15 shooting along with a team-high eight rebounds, four assists, and four steals.
Pedro Ellery also reached double figures with 11 points, knocking down three of six from deep.
"Give Minot a ton of credit tonight," said head coach
Luke Fennelly. "At the end of the day they dug down deep and got more stops than us. Whenever you allow your opponent to shoot 44 free throws it will always be an uphill battle. With that being said, we still had a couple good looks at the end to take the lead. Proud of how we fought for all 40 minutes, but we certainly need to be cleaner on both sides of the ball. We will learn from it and continue to get better."
After Minot State opened the game with a quick basket, Gurske answered with a floater to get the Yellowjackets on the board, and
Croix Cox followed with a tough finish in the paint to give MSUB an early 4–2 lead. The Beavers countered with six straight points before Landdeck snapped the run with a pull-up jumper. At the 15-minute mark,
Pedro Ellery checked in and made an immediate impact, drilling his first three-point attempt of the night. A free throw from
Ty Cox soon after put the 'Jackets back in front, 10–9. The teams traded buckets for several minutes until MSUB broke things open with a 7–0 run, building a 24–17 advantage. Both squads continued to exchange blows, but the Yellowjackets asserted control in the final five minutes of the half. With the score tied at 37, MSUB closed on a 15–7 surge—powered by seven points from Tchouya—to take a 52–44 lead into the break.
The Beavers came out energized in the second half, trimming the deficit to five with a quick 5–2 burst. MSUB responded with back-to-back triples from Tchouya, yet Minot State refused to go away, narrowing the gap to 65–62 with 14 minutes remaining. By the midpoint of the half, the Beavers swung the momentum with a decisive 13–4 run to reclaim a 75–69 advantage. The Yellowjackets hung around, keeping the margin at six, but when Minot's Sean De Kovachich drilled a three to reach 30 points and put the Beavers up by 10, MSUB found itself in need of a spark. They got it when a Landdeck free throw at the 3:23 mark kicked off a late 9–2 run, bringing the 'Jackets within two. MSUB had multiple opportunities in the final minute to tie or take the lead, but none fell, and Minot State held on to hand the Yellowjackets their first loss of the season.
STAT LEADERS
Points: Mason Landdeck (31)
Rebounds: Brandon Tchouya (8)
Assists: Brandon Tchouya (4)
Steals: Brandon Tchouya (4)
Blocks: Jakob Milling (3)
THE BUZZ: Brandon Tchouya was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team heads home for the annual Rimrock Rivalry matchup against Rocky Mountain College on November 24
th at 7:00pm in Alterowitz Gymnasium.
