The nationally ranked Montana Western Bulldogs open up the home portion of the 2018 conference schedule this weekend at the Straugh Gymnasium. The Bulldogs are hosting the University of Providence on Thursday, Jan. 11 and Montana State University-Northern on Saturday. Women tip-off at 5:30 p.m. and the men follow at 7:30 p.m. both nights.

Last Week's Women's Recap
The 10^th ranked Lady Bulldogs (11-5, 1-3) are coming off a tough weekend, suffering losses at Carroll College and at Rocky Mountain College. The Bulldogs who were battling the flu bug, and had several players sick at game time as the Bulldogs fell 82-45 to the 24^th ranked Saints. The still recovering Bulldogs played better at Rocky but still fell to the Battlin' Bears 54-47, as the Bears pulled away in the final minutes. Brianna King lead the team in scoring both nights.

This Week's Games
The Bulldogs host (RV) The University of Providence and No. 21 MSU Northern. This marks the second straight weekend The Bulldogs will face a pair of Nationally ranked opponents as the battle for supremacy in the Frontier Conference continues.

Bulldog Leaders
The Bulldogs are led by junior Brianna King's 17.7 points, 2.3 assists, and 2.3 steals per game. She is 6^th in the nation in total scoring (284) and 14^th in points per game. Britt Cooper leads the team in rebounds with 106, good for 6.6 a game. She is also 25^th in the nation in total blocks with 19.

Argos Outlook
The Argos (12-3, 3-1) currently second in the Frontier, are led by senior Stephanie McDonagh who averages nearly 19 points and 2.6 steals a game. She is 7^th in the nation in total scoring. The Argos, who are 11^th in the nation in defensive rebounds a game, are paced by freshman Parker Esary who is averaging 7.5 a game and is 19^th in the nation in offensive rebounds a game.

Skylights Outlook
The Skylights (9-6, 1-3) who are currently last in the Frontier, are led in scoring by senior Peyton Filius who averages 12.6 points a game. Senior Jacy Thompson is 7^th in the nation in free throw percentage, making 84 percent of her attempts. The Skylights as a team are 9^th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game(31.2) and 12^th in 3 point percentage (0.360).

Coach Woolley's Thoughts
"Providence is playing as good as anybody right now. Parker (Esary) is really good and gives them a presence on the block they haven't had in a while. And Steph (McDonagh) is one of, if not the best player in the league. They are deep and complete. Northern has lost a couple of games and are fighting to get back in the thick of things. They match up well with us. They make you guard them for the full 30 seconds each possession."

The Last Time They Played
The Bulldogs beat the Argos in Great Falls on Feb. 25, 2017, 72-48. The last time they hosted the Argos was Feb. 2, 2017 and the Bulldogs came away with a 74-54 win.
The Bulldogs lost to the Skylights in the semi-finals of the Frontier Conference playoffs 44-42 on March 3, 2017. The last time the Bulldogs hosted the Skylights, Northern came away with a 57-51 win.

Last Week's Men's Recap
The Bulldogs (12-3, 2-2)  played at 2^nd ranked Carroll College and fell 77-63. The game was close early until the Saints pulled away late for the win. The Bulldogs struggled to score, shooting just 18 percent from downtown, and 46 percent overall. Zaccheus Darko-Kelly and Warren Helligar led the Bulldogs with 14 points apiece and Darko-Kelly had his second straight game with a double-double, pulling down 10 rebounds.
On Saturday in Billings, Mont. the Bulldogs bounced back with a huge 103-84 win over the Battlin' Bears. The Bulldogs shot 63 percent from the floor including a staggering 52 percent from the beyond the arc. Dom Robinson had his first career double-double after dropping 35 points and dishing out 10 assists. Zaccheus Darko-Kelly scored a career-high 28 points and had 9 rebounds.

This Week's Games
The Bulldogs will look to climb in the standings as they welcome the University of Providence Argos and the MSU-Northern Lights to the Straugh Gymnasium this weekend.

Bulldog Leaders.
The Bulldogs who are 4^th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (33) and scoring per game (99.4) are led by Dom Robinson's 19 points and 5.33 assists per game. He is 4^th in the nation in total assists (80), assists per game. He is also 13^th in three-point shots made (45). The Bulldogs are ranked in the top 50 of 24 different statistical categories.

Key Loss
The Bulldogs will play the remainder of the season without last years leading rebounder Riley King. King tore his meniscus during practice last week. "The Loss of Riley is a tough one," stated head coach Steve Keller, "He has everything a coach could want, he is a true leader, he always works hard, and is our best defender." Zaccheus Darko-Kelly, Troy Scott, and Warren Helliger have stepped up their roles to fill the void left by King.

Padding the Stats
Sophomore Zaccheus Darko-Kelly, is on fire. He came a rebound short of having three straight games with a double-double, he also scored a career-high 28 points in the win over Rocky. Senior All- American Dom Robinson recorded his first career double-double with 35 points and 10 dimes in the win over Rocky.

Coach Keller's Thoughts
"We have two big games this week, Providence has size and athleticism, and Northern is the best three-point shooting team in the country. Every Frontier game is a battle and in this league you got to win your home games and steal a couple on the road. We are gonna miss Riley King, but the others guys have stepped up."

Argos Outlook
The Argos (7-6, 1-2) are coming off a loss to MSU-Northen, their other game against Montana Tech was postponed due to equipment failure. They are led by Steven Daho-Clark, who averages 13 points and 8 rebounds a game. He is 25^th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game with 4.45.  DeShaun Rice leads the team in steals, assists, and blocks. The Argos as a team are 11^th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game at 14, and 17^th in steals per game with 9.2.

Lights Outlook
The Lights (13-3, 3-1) are coming off a weekend sweep of Providence and Montana Tech. They are lead by 6-10 senior Ryan Reeves, Reeves does it all as he leads the Lights in scoring (16 points a game) rebounds (8.4 a game) and blocks (3.5 a game). He leads the nation in blocks, and blocks per game average. Adam Huse is third in the nation in three-point percentage, connecting of 56 percent of his attempts. The Lights are ranked first in the nation in total assists (359), three-point shots made per game (13.2), and assists per game (22.4). They are second in three-point percentage making 44 percent of their attempts. 

The Last Time They Played
The Bulldogs beat the Argos 108-63 in Great Falls on Feb. 25, 2017. They last hosted them on Feb. 2, 2017, when they won 88-62.
The Bulldogs beat the Lights 76-66 in Havre on Feb. 24, 2017. The last time the Bulldogs hosted the Lights, the Lights escaped Dillon with a 76-73 win, in a game which they connected on 15 three-point shots.  

Media Coverage
The games will also be live streamed online HERE.
Saturday's games will be broadcasted on SWX.