The fourth-ranked University of Montana Western Bulldogs women's basketball team will open up a four-game home stand against No. 22 Rocky Mountain College and No. 8 Carroll College this weekend at the Straugh Gymnasium. The Bulldogs will face off against the Battlin' Bears and the Fighting Saints in the first of three matchups this season. The Bulldogs will face two nationally ranked teams both with stingy defenses that hold opponents to 50 points a game. 

The Bulldogs So Far

• The Bulldogs are 12-1 overall and 3-1 in Frontier Conference play. 
• The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the nation, their highest ranking since Dec. 2006. 
• The Bulldogs split two games up north last weekend beating up MSU-Northern 64-30 in Havre, Mont., and falling in a tough 61-50 contest in Great Falls, Mont. to the University of Providence Argos. 
• The Bulldogs made just five 3-point shots in the loss to the Argos, well below their 10.2 a game average. 
• Brianna King scored 27 and 20 points and was named Frontier Conference Player of the Week. She won the award for the third straight week and fourth time this season. 

National Rankings

• The Bulldogs rank:
• Number 1 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (10.231)
• Number 1 in Division I in Scoring Defense per Game (45.000)
• Number 1 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.535)
• Number 1 in Division I in Scoring Margin (33.846)
• Number 1 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct Defense (0.224)
• Number 2 in Division I in Total Rebound Defense (29.923)
• Number 3 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.383)
• Number 3 in Division I in Field Goal Pct (0.476)
• Number 3 in Division I in Turnover Margin (9.615)
• Number 4 in Division I in Field Goal Pct Defense (0.327)
• Number 6 in Division I in Assists per Game (18.308)
• Number 8 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (133)
• Number 14 in Division I in Steals per Game (12.462)
• Number 15 in Division I in Scoring Offense per Game (78.846)
• Number 17 in Division I in Total Assists (238)
• Number 20 in Division I in Free Throw Pct (0.725)
• Number 21 in Division I in Total Rebound Margin (6.769)
• Number 24 in Division I in Total Steals (162)
• Mesa King Ranks Number 4 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (5.000)
• Savanna Bignell Ranks Number 4 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.500)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 5 in Division I in Points per Game (21.385)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 8 in Division I in Total Scoring (278)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 13 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Made per Game (2.846)
• Paige Holmes Ranks Number 16 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.700)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 17 in Division I in Steals per Game (2.692)
• Cierra Lamey Ranks Number 18 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.538)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 21 in Division I in Total 3-Pt FG Made (37)
• Tori Anderson Ranks Number 22 in Division I in Assist/Turnover Ratio (2.364)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 26 in Division I in 3-Pt Fg Pct (0.402)
• Brianna King Ranks Number 27 in Division I in Total Steals (35)

Who to Watch

• Brianna King is leading the conference with 21.4 points a game, and steals (35). She also leads the team in assists with 47. 
• King has scored 20 or more points in nine of the 13 games this season. 
• King is 28 points away from 1000 career points. 
• Britt Cooper is 144 points away from 1000 career points. 
• Cierra Lamey is averaging 11.2 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. She is shooting 87.1 percent from the free-throw line. 
• The Bulldogs have four players shooting 40 percent of better from long-range: Savanna Bignell(50.0), Cierra Lamey(43.9), Shannon Worster(46.7), and Brianna King(40.2).

Scouting the Opponents

• The No. 22 Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears are 12-4 overall and 3-1 in Frontier play. 
• The Battlin' Bears defense is second in the nation holding opponents to 48.9 points a game. While the offense is third in the nation in field goal percentage, shooting 47.6 percent. 
• The Battlin' Bears have five players averaging double-figures in scoring, led by Alecia Chamberlin's 13.2 a game.  
• The No. 8 Carroll College Fighting Saints are 12-3 overall and are 4-0 sitting atop the conference.
• Hannah Dean leads the Saints in nearly every statistical category, averaging 14.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2.2 steals a game. 
• The Saints are fifth in the nation allowing just 51 points a game. 

Game Times

• Both games are scheduled to start at 5:30 p.m. in the Straugh Gymnasium. 

Media Coverage

• Live video can be found here: RMC, CC
• Live stats can be found here: RMC, CC
• Radio broadcast can be found on KDBM AM 1490 and online. 
• Links and recaps will also be provided on www.umwbulldogs.com
• Updates can be found on Twitter @UMWBulldogs and @umw_wbb