• Boxscore & Play-by-Play

BILLINGS, Mont. – Jaxon Myaer scored six of his team-high 16 points during the final 1:27 Saturday night to secure Montana State Billings' 68-56 men's basketball home win over Seattle Pacific at Alterowitz Gymnasium.

The Falcons trailed by as many as 18 points early in the second half before gradually chipping away at the deficit. They drew within 61-56 on a free throw-line jumper by sophomore Andy Poling with 2:26 left to play.

Myaer answered with a short jump shot with 1:27 on the clock to start Billings on a seven-point game-closing surge. Myaer hit two free throws at 0:54 and, after Raason Young made one of two at 0:42, converted another pair with 32 seconds remaining to cap the scoring.

SPU (16-8) sustained its first three-game losing streak of the season, dropping to 10-6 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference games.

The Yellowjackets (6-17) halted a four-game losing skid to improve to 4-12 in league play. MSUB also stopped a nine-game winless streak against SPU that included a 72-65 overtime setback on Jan. 22 in Seattle.

Billings took control before halftime, closing the first period with 15 consecutive points to go ahead 40-24. The Falcons' last points of the first half came on two Ryan Sweet free throws with 7:05 showing on the clock. The missed their final seven shots before intermission.

Jeff Downs hit four 3-pointers and compiled 16 points to lead SPU, which also got 11 from Poling and 10 from Modou Niang.

Emery Henning scored all 12 of his points during the first half for the Yellowjackets. Young also finished with 12 points and Robert Mayes added 10.

Billings shot 54 percent (28 of 52) for the game while limiting the Falcons to 39 percent (18 of 46) from the field.

The Yellowjackets score the game's first nine points. They led 12-3 before SPU scored six straight points to start an 11-2 run. Scott Morse capped the surge with a 3-pointer with 13:10 left in the first half, tying the game 14-14.

Tyler Barnes made a layup with 12:56 left in the period that put MSUB ahead for good at 16-14.

The Falcons trailed by eight before reeling off seven consecutive points. They drew within 25-24 on Sweet's two free throws with 7:05 on the clock, but SPU did not score again before the rest of the half.

The Yellowjackets scored the first basket of the second half to make it a 17-point run before SPU answered with the next four points.

The Seattle Pacific men close out the regular season with two road games next week. They play Western Washington on Tuesday and Simon Fraser on Thursday. Both games tip off at 7 p.m.


NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Alterowitz Gymnasium/Billings, Mont.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS 68, SEATTLE PACIFIC 56

SEATTLE PACIFIC (16-8, 10-6 GNAC)
Sweet 1-7 5-7 7, Morse 2-3 0-0 5, Poling 4-7 3-4 11, D. Downs 0-3 0-0 0, J. Downs 6-16 0-1 16, Carel 0-0 0-0 0, Dorman 2-5 1-2 7, Moll 0-2 0-0 0, Niang 3-3 4-6 10. Totals 18-46 13-20 56.

MONTANA STATE BILLINGS (6-17, 4-12 GNAC)
Chambers 1-7 0-0 2, Myaer 5-7 4-4 16, Henning 5-7 2-3 12, Mayes 5-9 0-0 10, Young 5-9 1-2 12, Sutton 1-1 0-0 2, Trabing 1-4 0-0 2, Barnes 4-5 0-0 8, Hickman 1-3 2-3 4. Totals 28-52 9-12 68.

Halftime – MSUB 40-24.

3-point goals--SPU 7-20 (J. Downs 4-11, Dorman 2-4, Morse 1-2, Moll 0-1, D. Downs 0-2), MSUB 3-14 (Myaer 2-3, Young 1-4, Trabing 0-2, Chambers 0-5). Fouled out--SPU-None, MSUB-None. Rebounds--SPU 29 (Poling 8), MSUB 28 (Mayes, Young, Henning, Trabing 4). Assists--SPU 14 (J. Downs 4), MSUB 16 (Myaer 5). Total fouls--SPU 12, MSUB 19. A-544.