BILLINGS, Mont.- Montana State University Billings men's basketball continued its impressive early-season form on Saturday afternoon, rolling to a decisive 117-72 victory over Lethbridge Polytechnic inside Alterowitz Gym to move to 9-2 on the year.
The Yellowjackets delivered one of their most complete performances of the season, excelling on both ends of the floor. MSUB shot nearly 55 percent from the field, connected on 39 percent of its three-point attempts, and knocked down 83 percent of its free throws. The dominance extended beyond shooting, as the Yellowjackets held advantages in rebounding (47-33), assists (26-14), and forced turnovers (26), all contributing to the 45-point final margin.
Depth and balance were on full display for MSUB, with 12 of 13 players recording points and six players finishing in double figures.
Mason Landdeck paced the offense with 17 points and seven assists, efficiently directing the Yellowjacket attack.
Gabe Hatler followed closely with 16 points on 6-of-13 shooting, setting a new career high as a Yellowjacket.
The bench provided a significant spark throughout the contest.
Brandon Tchouya was nearly perfect from the floor, scoring 15 points on 7-of-8 shooting while adding three rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
Jakob Milling filled the stat sheet with 14 points, eight rebounds, four steals, two assists, and two blocks while
Miles Gurske and
Jonas La Tour rounded out the double-figure scorers with 13 points apiece.
MSUB wasted little time asserting control, opening the game with a 7-0 run highlighted by an and-one three-point play from Gurske. Lethbridge answered with a pair of three-pointers to trim the deficit to four, but the Yellowjackets responded emphatically, unleashing a 12-0 run to stretch the lead to 23-7 with just over 11 minutes remaining in the first half. MSUB continued to apply pressure for the remainder of the half, outscoring the Kodiaks 35-22 during that stretch to take a commanding 58-29 lead into the locker room.
The Yellowjackets opened the second half with back-to-back scores from
Jakob Milling at the free-throw line and a quick basket from Gurske. Lethbridge briefly found its rhythm, putting together a 12-3 run to cut the deficit to 66-41, but Hatler quickly halted the momentum with a timely basket. From there, MSUB regained full control, receiving contributions from across the roster to build its largest lead of the night at 51 points.
With the outcome firmly in hand, head coach Fennelly was able to go deep into his bench.
Rhyse Owens logged a career-high 15 minutes of action, while
Jesiah Stutts recorded a career-best four points in six minutes. The sustained team effort carried the Yellowjackets to their largest victory margin of the season, closing out a dominant 117-72 win over the Kodiaks.
STAT LEADERS
Points: Mason Landdeck (17)
Rebounds: Jakob Milling (8);
Ty Cox (8)
Assists: Mason Landdeck (7)
Steals: Jakob Milling (4)
Blocks: Jakob Milling (2)
THE BUZZ: Gabe Hatler was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting a 16-point career high in a Yellowjacket uniform on 6-13 from the field while also tallying two rebounds and one assist.
UP NEXT: Game two of the annual Rimrock Rivalry is back in action with the Yellowjackets taking on Rocky Mountain in the Fortin Center on December 15
th at 7:00 PM.
