(Editor's note: Information provided by GNAC news releases.)
PORTLAND, Ore. — After leading the Montana State Billings men’s basketball team to its first-ever Great Northwest Athletic Conference regular-season title last year, senior Jalen Tot was selected by the coaches as the 2024-25 GNAC preseason player of the year.
Hardin's Famous Lefthand was also named All-GNAC for the MSUB men, while the Yellowjacket women put three on the all-conference team in Dyauni Boyce, Aspen Giese and Kortney Nelson.
Selected as the D2CCA West Region Player of the Year, Tot was the heartbeat of MSUB’s historic season that ended with a record of 20-10, 14-4 in league play and a trip to the NCAA West Region Championships.
Tot led the GNAC with 2.7 made 3-pointers per game, while ranking second in 3-point field-goal percentage (43.5), eighth in scoring (15.3 ppg), sixth in assists (3.4 apg) and seventh in steals (1.5 spg).
A unanimous first-team All-GNAC pick and the GNAC Player of the Year, Tot started all 30 games for MSUB and scored 20 or more points on eight occasions.
In his first season with the Yellowjackets, Lefthand played a major role in delivering the team’s first-ever GNAC regular-season title. The Crow Agency, Mont., native started 22 games and played in 26, ranking fourth on the team with 10.4 points per game.
Lefthand’s 42 made 3-pointers and 1.6 per game were tied for 11th-most in the GNAC, and he posted a shooting percentage of 37.2 from beyond the arc. Lefthand reached double figures in scoring 16 times last year
For the women, Winifred's Boyce was a starter in all 35 of MSUB’s games last season. The 5-foot-11 forward ranked second on the team and ninth in the conference with 14.7 points per game, and was 12th in the GNAC with 5.6 rebounds per game on her way to second-team all-GNAC recognition.
Boyce also ranked fourth in the conference in free-throw percentage at 85.8 and fifth in 3-point field-goal percentage at 38.2.
Fort Benton's Giese averaged 9.5 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game and 2.3 assists per game. She ranked fourth in the league with a 3-point field-goal percentage of 39.9, eighth in made 3-pointers per game.
Scobey's Nelson was the GNAC defensive player of the year last season, and also averaged 9.6 points per game, 5.5 rebounds per game and ranked eighth in the conference with 3.4 assists per game. She converted free throws at a clip of 82.7%, and ranked second in the conference with an assist-turnover ratio of 2.3.
