DILLON, Mont. – The #23 Montana Western men's basketball program (8-3, 3-2 FC) is back in Straugh Gymnasium for two matchups this week. The Bulldogs will take on Mayville State (5-5, 1-4 FC) and Valley City State (4-5, 0-5 FC)
 
SCHEDULE
Friday, Dec. 12
Mayville State – 7 p.m. MT | Watch Live | Live Stats
 
Saturday, Dec. 13
Valley City State– 7 p.m. MT | Watch Live | Live Stats
 
LAST TIME OUT
UMW moved to 8-3 on the year after losses to Carroll and (RV) Rocky Mountain last week.
 
Against the Fighting Saints, Western shot 39.7 percent (23-58) from the field, 24.1 percent (7-29) from beyond the arc, and 54.5 percent (18.33) from the foul line. The Red and Black earned 43 rebounds, 12 assists, two steals, and two blocks. Kyle Gruhler led the team with 15 points while Billy Carlson and Kolter Merritt each grabbed seven rebounds. Emanuel Steward tied for the game-high with five assists. Steward and Gruhler each snagged a steal. Joshua Whiteside and Gruhler tallied one block apiece.
 
Against the Battlin' Bears, the Bulldogs shot 48.1 percent (26-54) from the floor, 30.0 percent (6-20) from three-point range, and 57.1 (8-14) from the stripe. They registered 30 rebounds, 10 assists, four steals, and three blocks. Steward dropped a game-high 30 points. Young, Carlson, Whiteside, and Jacob Ankeny each grabbed five boards. Gruhler handed out a game-best four assists. Gruhler, Merritt, Young, and Carlson each tallied one steal while Whiteside, Steward, and Gruhler earned a block.
 
BEHIND THE BARK
UMW is putting up 82.7 points, 37.8 rebounds, and 12.2 assists so far in 2025-26. The Bulldogs are shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, 34.9 percent from three, and 68.9 percent from the foul line. They are also earning 5.1 steals and 3.5 blocks per game.
 
Kyle Gruhler leads the team with 21.8 points per game, followed by Emanuel Steward at 19.2. Billy Carlson paces the Bulldogs with 5.5 rebounds per game. Steward (3.1) and Kolter Merritt (3.0) rank first and second in assists. David Young snags a team-high 1.2 steals per game with Merritt close behind at 1.0. Jacob Ankeny swats a team-leading 1.0 blocks per game. 
 
MEASURING UP
In the NAIA, Kyle Gruhler sits 11th in made threes (36), 13th in total points (240), and 21st in points per game (21.8).
 
CONFERENCE ROUNDUP
Western ranks third in the Frontier in rebounds per game (37.8), fourth in points per game (82.5), and fourth in blocks per game (3.4)
 
30-PIECE
Emanuel Steward dropped a career-high 30 points against Rocky Mountain. He shot 59.1 percent from the floor in the contest.
 
CRASH THE BOARDS
Western has pulled down 30 or more rebounds all but one game this season, including 40 or more in five contests.
 
FEELIN' FINE AT THE FOUL LINE
Three Bulldogs are ranked in the top 10 in conference in free throw percentage. Emanuel Steward sits third (89.2), Mark Huber is fifth (93.3), and Kyle Gruhler is tenth (78.3).
 
SHOWCASING OUR DEPTH
12 different Bulldogs have tallied an assist this season, with 10 recording five or more. Additionally, 13 players have pulled down a rebound and 11 have snagged a steal. 
 
MAKING IT RAIN
Kyle Gruhler and Emanuel Steward rank second and third in the Frontier in points per game (21.8 and 19.2, respectively). Moreover, Gruhler is seventh in the conference in field-goal percentage (53.0).
 
SPLASH!
Kyle Gruhler ranks third in the league both three-point percentage (50.8) and three-pointers per game (3.2).
 
NOT TODAY
Jacob Ankeny leads the team with 11 blocks on the season. He ranks fourth in the Frontier in blocks per game (1.0)
 
MEET THE OPPONENTS
Mayville State (5-5, 1-4 FC)

• The Comets are averaging 86.2 points, 38.3 rebounds, and 15.1 assists per game.

• They are shooting 50.7 percent from the floor, 39.2 percent from three, and 65.8 percent from the foul line.
• Christian Bowen-Webb leads the Comets with 17.5 points per game, followed by Darius Brant (15.5).
• Brant grabs a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game with Isaiah Smith close behind at 6.2
• Malik Siggers paces the team in both assists (3.3) and steals (2.4) while Brant swats a team-high 1.3 blocks per game. 
• Malik Siggers is leads the team in field-goal percentage (54.9) and three-point percentage (63.2) percent from the field and Bowen-Webb holds the team-lead in free-throw percentage (92.9). 
• As a team, MSU is 10th in made field goals per game (33.7), 13th in field-goal percentage (51.1) and 18th in three-point percentage (39.5). 
• In the FC, The comets rank third in points per game (86.1), field-goal percentage (51.1), and three-point percentage and sit fourth in rebounds per game (37.1).
• Bowen-Webb is ninth in the conference in scoring (17.1) while Brant is sixth in rebounds (6.4).

 
Valley City State (4-5, 0-5 FC)

• The Vikings are averaging 81.8points, 35.3 rebounds, and 12.0assists per game.

• They are shooting 46.3 percent from the floor, 36.2 percent from three, and 66.5 percent from the foul line.
• JR Cison leads the Vikings with 17.0 points per game, followed by Caleb Larson at 13.3.
• Logan Deal grabs a team-best 6.4 rebounds per game. 
• Cison paces the team in both assists (2.0) 
• Deal is shooting a team-best 61.4 percent from the field while Larson leads from three-point range, shooting 38.8 percent, and Cison tops the team in free-throw percentage (88.5). 
• In the Frontier, VCSU is second offensive rebounds per game (12.2). 
• Deal ranks eighth in the league in rebounds per game (6.4).
• Cison sits second in conference in free-throw percentage (88.5).
• Taylor Bryant-Frey is eighth in the FC in made threes per game at 3.4

 
SERIES HISTORY
Western is 1-1 all-time against Mayville State, having won 85-72 in the two sides first meeting this season (11/22/25)
 
UMW is 2-0 all-time against Valley City State, earning the 107-104 victory earlier in the season (11/21/25).
 
LOOKING AHEAD
The Bulldogs are back in action next week when they travel to Pocatello, Idaho to compete against NCAA Division I opponent Idaho State in an exhibition match.  
For complete coverage of UMW Men's Basketball, be sure to follow us on social media at @umwesternbball (Instagram), @UMWesternBball (X), and @Montana Western Men's Basketball (Facebook) or visit our official website at UMWBulldogs.com.

#GOBULLDOGS!