BILLINGS, Mont.- The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team (10-2, 1-0 GNAC) erased an 11-point second-half deficit, as
Brandon Tchouya delivered a clutch game-winning three-point play to lift the Yellowjackets to a thrilling 99-96 victory over Rocky Mountain College on Saturday night at the Fortin Center.
In a dramatic chapter of the Rimrock Rivalry, Rocky Mountain controlled play for much of the contest, leading for over 80 percent of the game. Despite nearly identical stat lines across the board, MSUB's dominance in the paint — outscoring the Battlin' Bears 40-24 — proved decisive, capped by Tchouya's late heroics to complete the rivalry sweep.
"Give Rocky credit — they're a tough team and playing them on their home court is never easy," said head coach
Luke Fennelly. "They got us on our heels early, but our guys really dug in during the second half and found a way. Our execution down the stretch made the difference. I'm proud of how the guys stayed together and showed grit late. We have some things to clean up defensively, but we'll get back to work and keep improving. Go 'Jackets."
Mason Landdeck led the offensive charge with 26 points to go along with four rebounds, four assists, and a steal.
Miles Gurske followed with 21 points while shooting an efficient 62 percent from the floor. Tchouya, the hero of the night, filled the stat sheet with 18 points — including 12-of-13 at the free-throw line — five assists, four rebounds, and three steals.
Jonas La Tour also reached double figures, knocking down four three-pointers on his way to 14 points, while adding three rebounds, two steals, and a block.
The Battlin' Bears jumped out to an early 7-3 advantage before Gurske and Landdeck responded to briefly swing momentum back to MSUB. Rocky answered with a nine-point run, but the Yellowjackets stayed within striking distance, trading baskets through much of the opening half. After Rocky extended its lead to nine with 3:30 remaining, MSUB closed strong, briefly reclaiming a 39-37 edge behind four points from Tchouya. Rocky Mountain responded once more, taking a 44-39 lead into the break.
The Yellowjackets came out firing in the second half, opening with a 7-0 run fueled by five points from La Tour to knot the game at 46. Rocky regained control and pushed its lead to 11 with under nine minutes remaining, but MSUB answered with an 11-1 run sparked by Gurske to trim the deficit to one.
The teams traded blows down the stretch until Tchouya gave MSUB a 91-89 lead with just under three minutes to play. With both teams in the bonus, the game turned into a battle at the free-throw line, tied at 96 with 42 seconds remaining. In the closing moments, Tchouya came up with a critical steal, then finished through contact for the go-ahead basket. He calmly knocked down the ensuing free throw to seal the victory, securing a 99-96 comeback win and a season sweep of Rocky Mountain College.
STAT LEADERS
Points: Mason Landdeck (26)
Rebounds: Ty Cox (7);
Croix Cox (7)
Assists: Brandon Tchouya (5)
Steals: Brandon Tchouya (4)
Blocks: Three players tied (1)
THE BUZZ: Brandon Tchouya was named Intermountain Health Player of the Game after posting 18 points, five assists, four steals, and three rebounds on top of his game winning bucket.
UP NEXT: The Montana State University Billings men's basketball team heads to sin city for the Holiday Hoops Classic to take on Colorado School of Mines on December 20
th at 9:15 PM (MT) and #20 Dominican University on December 21
st also at 9:15 PM (MT).
