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Montana Western, University of

Official Athletics Site of the Montana Western Bulldogs
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66
Montana Western MONTANA 6-6
79
Winner Arizona Christian ARIZONA 9-2
Montana Western MONTANA
6-6
66
Final
79
Arizona Christian ARIZONA
9-2
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Montana Western MONTANA 31 35 66
Arizona Christian ARIZONA 39 40 79

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | Lindsey Branch, UMW Sports Information

Bulldog Men Defeated By No. 1 Ranked Arizona Christian 79-66 In Cactus Classic Opener

CHANDLER, Ariz. – The Montana Western Men's Basketball team lost 79-66 in a hard-fought game with the No. 1 ranked Arizona Christian. They move to 6-7 on the season and continue with the Cactus Classic on Sunday afternoon.

How it Happened
The Bulldogs were the first to put points on the board as Jamal Stephenson drained back-to-back three-pointers just two minutes into the game. The Firestorm answered by going on a 9-0 scoring run. Up 24-21 on the Bulldogs, UMW's Tanner Haverfield drained a three-pointer from the top of the arc to tie the game up at 24 with 8:16 left in the half. The Firestorm answered right back by gaining their largest lead of the game so far at 39-27 with just over a minute to play in the half. Despite ACU gaining the sizeable lead, the Bulldogs would go into the half down only eight points.

The Bulldogs brought the game back within five points just two minutes into the second half behind a pair of free throws from Haverfield and a made three-pointer from Ky Kouba. ACU answered by going on a 10-0 scoring run. The Bulldogs cut ACU's lead down to nine at 51-42 behind a pair of three-pointers from Brenton Woods. With 9:16 left in the game, the Bulldogs continued to stay within reach of the Firestorm at 64-51. Woods hit his fourth shot from the arc, cutting the ACU lead back down to nine. Though ACU gained momentum, the Bulldogs would answer by going on their own 8-0 scoring run over the course of three minutes, cutting the lead down to six points. Despite the strong comeback effort, the Firestorm outscored the Bulldogs 9-2 down the stretch to take the game 79-66.

Notables
  • The Bulldogs played tightly with the No. 1 ranked team in the country, shooting 40 percent from the three-point line and boasting a 90.9 percent shooting from the free throw line. The Firestorm remained hot from the field, shooting 50.0 percent on the day.
  • The Firestorm utilized their posts as they outscored the Bulldogs in the paint 38-12 in the matchup. The Firestorm also capitalized on UMW turnovers, picking up 25 points in comparison to the Bulldog's 14.
  • Stephenson led the Bulldogs with 20 points, three rebounds, an assist, and shot 41.1 percent from the field.
  • Woods followed with 16 points, six assists, and a steal.
  • Tanner Haverfield led the Bulldogs with eight rebounds, four being offensive.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will take tomorrow off and pick back up on Sunday Dec. 18 at 12PM MST against the (RV) Hope International Royals. Hope International comes into the tournament with an overall record of 6-3 and are receiving votes in the national rankings. Their three losses were to NCAA Division III opponent University of Redlands, No. 1 Arizona Christian University, and (RV) The Master's University.

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