MSUB SPORTS – In the fall of 2011 Malta High School junior quarterback Kendall Denham led his team to a perfect 11-0 record leading up to an appearance in the state championship game. More often than not, senior wide-out Jace Anderson was on the receiving end of Denham's passes, as the two had grown into a dynamic duo by their final year on the gridiron together.
 
Today, Denham is still hitting Anderson with passes, albeit within the confines of Alterowitz Gym as the two are now starters for the Montana State University Billings men's basketball team.
 
"We played basketball against each other in middle school growing up but not in high school since we were in different classes," Denham said. "My junior year in football is really when our connection moved to the next level."
 
Both two-sport standouts in high school, Denham and Anderson were teammates through the fall before parting ways in the winter. Anderson attended Whitewater High School, which partnered with Malta to form the football team under head coach Scott King.
 
"As athletes they were both very competitive, and they were as good in practice as they were on Friday nights," King commented on his former standouts. "If you ask them, they'll tell you that basketball was their first love."
 
Anderson was driven to pursue basketball at the highest level he could, ultimately determining that MSUB would be a good fit. Following Anderson's mentality, Denham was guided dually by his childhood teammate and another familiar face from his hometown who was making a name for herself as a Yellowjacket.
 
"I talked to Jace about it, and my sister played here her freshman year too so I had a good connection," Denham said. "I also talked to (Malta native) Bobbi (Knudsen) quite a bit, and she was helping recruit me to come down here."
 
After both players redshirted in their first year in the program, 2014-15 marks the rebirth of the two as teammates. Picking up right where they left off in high school, the Denham-Anderson connection has proven to be one of the keys to MSUB's offense this season. Anderson ranks third in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference in 3-point field-goal percentage at 48.0, and Denham ranks seventh in assist-turnover ratio at 1.9. Denham has connected with Anderson for a bucket on eight occasions this season, including two in an 83-78 overtime win against Alaska Fairbanks last week that was a career night for both players.
 
Anderson posted 27 points and made 5 of 10 shots from beyond the arc, and Denham finished with a season-best 16 points on 3 of 6 from long range. "That game was definitely a stepping stone for us, and we feel like now everything is finally clicking," Anderson said.
 
"Seeing Jace get into rhythm helped to get the other guys going and we all fed off of that," Denham commented. "We are playing good team ball right now, and we just have to dig deep and do the little things right in the last four minutes to find ways to win."
 
Next up for the 'Jackets is a prime-time GNAC contest against Seattle Pacific on Saturday, as MSUB will look to repeat last season's 72-70, overtime win on a buzzer-beater by Marc Matthews against then-No. 13 SPU. "We have been playing well as a team since Christmas break, and we have been in every single game," Anderson said. "We are confident that our connection will help lead to more wins."