DILLON, Mont. – The (RV) UMW men's basketball program (14-3, 9-2 FC) held off a late surge from Providence (2-15, 2-9 FC) to earn the 83-74 win and go 2-0 on the weekend.
The Argos cut the lead to as few as two points late in the second half, but the Bulldogs managed to get themselves out of danger for the nine-point win.
"Really proud of our guys for going 2-0 on the weekend," head coach
Patrick Jensen said. "It was a really good effort to take away the three-point line. We've got a big road trip coming up next weekend."
STAT BREAKDOWN
Western shot 43.3 percent (26-60) from the floor, 32.1 percent (9-28) from beyond the arc, and 84.6 percent (22-26) from the foul line.
The Bulldogs registered40 rebounds, 15 assists, six blocks, and four steals
They posted 24 points in the paint, eight points off turnovers, four second-chance points, and 18 bench points.
LEADERBOARD
Kyle Gruhler led all players with 27 points, followed by
Emanuel Steward (22),
David Young (15), and
River Hurley (13).
Young led the team in both rebounds (eight) and steals (two) while Steward dished out a game-best five assists.
Gruhler posted a game-high two blocks.
NOTABLES
Hurley drained a career-high 13 points on 71.4 percent (5-7) shooting, including going 3-3 from beyond the arc.
Young matched his career-high in rebounds.
Gruhler and Steward scored at least 20 points for the 12th and seventh times, respectively.
The Bulldogs held UP to 15.4 percent from three, the second lowest opponent three-point percentage of the season.
Third-most made free throws on the campaign.
GAME SUMMARY
Providence started the game firing on all cylinders, giving Western trouble for the first 10 minutes.
The Bulldogs took the lead with just over nine minutes remaining in the half, using steady scoring and effort on the defensive end to stretch the lead to 15, 42-27, by the halftime whistle.
UMW shot 38.2 percent (13-34) from the field, 35.3 percent (6-17) from distance, and 83.3 percent (10-12) from the stripe in the first half.
Western posted its biggest lead of the game (17), about a minute into the second period, and looked in position to cruise to victory.
Though they trailed by 10 or more for the majority of the second frame, the Argos gave the Bulldogs a run for their money over the final five minutes, reducing the gap to just two late in the game.
UMW refocused after that and made free throws count to ensure the nine-point dub.
THE OTHER GUYS
The Argos shot 43.5 percent (30-69) from the floor, 15.4 percent (2-13) from three, and 54.5 percent (12-22) from the foul line. They registered 41 rebounds, three assists, 10 steals and one block. Marcus Lawson led the team with 25 points, followed by Marvel Chambers Jr. (17), Quinn Swanson (15), and Jakub Lloyd (10). Swanson earned a double-double with a game-high 10 rebounds. Anthony Hobbs posted a game-best four steals while Lloyd tallied the lone block of the game for Providence. Swanson, Chambers Jr., and Brendan Redhead each posted an assist.
LOOKING AHEAD
Western is back in action next week when they travel to Bellevue (1/16) and Dakota State (1/17). Tipoff for both contests is set for 6 p.m. MT/ 7 p.m. CT.
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!
