BISMARCK, N.D. – The (RV) Montana Western men's basketball program (12-3, 7-2 FC) overwhelmed Bismarck State (0-15, 0-9 FC) 96-66 Saturday evening.
The Bulldogs scored early and often in the wire-to-wire win, leading by 13 at the half before stretching their lead to 30 by the end of the game.
STAT BREAKDOWN
UMW shot 46.6 percent (34-73) from the floor, 47.7 percent (21-44) from downtown, and 50.0 percent (7-14) from the charity stripe.
The Bulldogs registered 41 rebounds, 24 assists, two blocks, and five steals.
They earned 20 points in the paint, 15 points off turnovers, 19 second-chance points, and 31 bench points.
LEADERBOARD
Kyle Gruhler scored led the game with 27 points, followed by
Billy Carlson (14) and
Kolter Merritt (11).
Jacob Ankeny posted his second straight nine-point performance with
Emanuel Steward also earning nine.
Gruhler also paced the team on the glass with seven rebounds while Steward led all players with six assists.
Carlson and
Joshua Whiteside shared the game-high with two steals each.
Merritt and Whiteside each landed a block for Western.
NOTABLES
The Bulldogs committed just four turnovers, a season low.
UMW drained a season-best 21 three-pointers.
Shot over 45.0 percent as a team for the fifth straight game.
Gruhler shot 50.0 from both the field (10-20) and from three (6-12).
Carlson dropped a career-best 14 points on 45.5 percent (5-11) shooting.
Merritt posted his second double-digit scoring effort of the season.
GAME SUMMARY
Gruhler got things going early for the Bulldogs, scoring the first six points of the contest.
Western utilized a balanced attack in the first 20 minutes with eight different players scoring in the half.
The Mystics struggled to find the basket at the start and UMW was up 45-32 at the break.
The Red and black shot 44.7 percent (17-38) from the field, 42.1 percent (8-19) from beyond the arc, and 60.0 percent (3-5) from the foul line in the first half. The team earned 22 rebounds, 11 assists, and two steals.
After halftime, the Bulldogs continued their offensive onslaught, draining 13 threes in the final 20 minutes. In contrast, the hosts made just two threes in each period, relying on 32 points in the paint to try and stay in the fight.
BSC didn't get closer than eight in the second half as UMW cruised to its largest win of the season.
THE OPPOSITION
Bismarck State shot 48.2 percent (27-56) from the floor, 25.0 percent (4-16) from three, and 61.5 percent (8-13) from the foul line. The Mystics tallied 27 rebounds, 12 assists, two blocks, and one steal. Houston Davis paced BSC with 18 points, followed by Tristin Davis (16), and Alex Proctor (14). Houston Davis led all players with eight rebounds and snagged the Mystics lone steal. Proctor and Jah Gulley each handed out three assists while Carter Zeller and Leon Andersson each registered one block.
LOOKING AHEAD
Western is back at home next week when it welcomes MSU-Northern and Providence. Tipoff for both contests is set for 7 p.m. MT.
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!
