PORTLAND, Ore. – Facing a 17-point deficit at the half, Montana Western outscored Warner Pacific in the second half but was defeated 82-70. The Bulldogs were outshot 47.9 to 58.8 percent from the field.
Kyle Gruhler notched his second 20-point game of the season with 29 points on an 11-of-15 shooting night.
How It Happened
WPU built up a 34-16 lead through the first 13 minutes behind its impressive shooting from the field. Gruhler would hit a jumper to spark an 8-0 spurt for Western to cut the game within 10 with under five minutes to play in the first half.
Warner Pacific pushed its advantage back up to 18 before
Alan Kane dropped in a free throw just before the half to trail 47-30 at the break.
Gruhler opened the half in style, throwing down back-to-back dunks to give Western a boost of energy. He would continue to carry the Bulldogs as he drilled a pair of threes, cutting into the WPU lead at 50-40.
Western would narrowly outscore WPU across the next three minutes to bring the scoring deficit to seven. Despite this, WPU would continue to keep the Bulldogs at an arm's length through the remainder of the game to make the Bulldog comeback unsuccessful as they would fall 82-70.
Notables
- Western has won just one matchup with WPU in the series, making tonight's loss their fifth in the matchup and third straight.
- The Bulldogs shot 47.9 percent as a team from the field and just 6-15 from the three-point line in the loss.
- Abi Adedo tabbed his first double double of the season, tacking up 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
- Kane neared double digits in scoring, adding nine to the Bulldog total while also adding a pair of rebounds and an assist.
Up Next
The Bulldogs return home for a game against Dickinson State (N.D.) in the Straugh Gymnasium on Nov. 22 at 7 p.m.
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