BILLINGS, Mont. – Freshman guard Oshea Gairey and senior swingman Michael Harper each scored more than 20 points but it wasn't enough as Simon Fraser University lost 94-83 to Montana State University Billings Yellowjackets in a Great Northwest Athletic Conference men's basketball game on New Year's Eve at Alterowitz Gym.

Simon Fraser was out-scored 20-2 to open the second half, turning a one point lead into a 17-point deficit, and the Clan never recovered.

The second-half scoring burst started with an administrative technical foul free-throw made by Jace Anderson before time started, and less than four minutes later it wound up being a 20-2, game-changing spread.
MSUB scored five 3-pointers in the opening 3:30 of the second half after trailing the Clan 31-30 at halftime.

Simon Fraser got to within 10 points on two different occasions down the stretch before MSUB closed out the victory.

Gairey scored 24 points (6-of-21) and grabbed a game-high nine rebounds while Harper added 21 on five-of-13 shooting and pulled down eight rebounds. Harper was 10-for-10 from the line while Gairey was 11-of-16.
Junior guard Max Barkeley scored all of his 17 points in the second half.

Gairey and Harper each scored 10 points for SFU in the opening frame as the Clan fought for the lead throughout the first half, leading by as many as nine points in the first period. A buzzer-beating layup by Gairey as time expired gave SFU a 31-30 advantage at halftime.

Simon Fraser (1-9, 0-4 GNAC) out-rebounded MSUB 31-18 in the opening period, including a 14-1 advantage on the offensive glass. The 'Jackets had a stronger presence in the second half, but the Clan ultimately won the rebounding battle 47-39.

SFU shot 25 percent (9-for-36) in the first half and then made 16 of 35 shots (45.7 percent) in the second to finish the game at 35.2 percent. The Clan knocked down 7 of 25 3-pointers (28 percent), and made 26 of 38 foul shots (68.4 percent).

MSUB got a career-high 27 points from junior guard Marc Matthews while guard Jace Anderson finished the game with 18 points, six rebounds and a game-high six assists.

As a team, the 'Jackets made 29 of 59 shots from the field (49.2 percent) and 11 of 23 shots from 3-point range (47.8 percent). MSUB converted 25 of 33 attempts from the line.

The 'Jackets improved to 5-6 overall and 2-1 in conference games.

Simon Fraser is back in action Jan. 7 at the University of Alaska Anchorage.