DILLON, Mont. – The Montana Western men's basketball team (14-11) swept the regular-season series against Montana State University-Northern (8-17) with a 77-62 victory this evening.
Kyle Gruhler led the Bulldogs with 21 points, shooting 8-of-14 from the field, including 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.
How it Happened:
Gruhler and Jalyn Stepney each scored four early points to give the Bulldogs a 12-6 lead midway through the first half, as Western shot 50% from the field. The Lights answered back, cutting the deficit to two.
Abi Adedo attacked the basket and scored six straight points, contributing to the Bulldogs' 28 points in the paint in the first half. However, hot shooting from MSUN prevented Western from extending its lead.
Gruhler finished the half with 12 points, including two three-pointers, while Adedo added a layup as time expired, giving the Bulldogs a 40-34 lead at the break.
Coming out of the half, Northern went on an 8-3 run to cut the deficit to 40-38. Kevin Bethel's key baskets and defense, combined with Jacob Akeny's rebounding and eight points, helped the Bulldogs extend their lead to 58-47.
From there, it was all Bulldogs, with several key contributions down the stretch. Bethel knocked down another three, followed by back-to-back three-pointers from Stepney. Jacksen Burckley added four late points to help secure the victory.
Notables:
- Adedo scored 16 points on 8-12 shooting and pulled down a game high eight rebounds.
- Stepney finished with 12 points, three rounds and a game-high three steals.
- Billy Carlson came off the bench providing six points, five rebounds and an assist.
- Western would score 10 points off of eight Lights' turnovers.
- The Bulldogs outscored the Northern 50-34 in the paint.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will return home to take on Providence this Saturday, February 15, with tip-off set for 4 p.m.
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