HAVRE, Mont. – The Montana Western men's basketball program (20-8, 15-7 FC) held off (RV) MSU-Northern (16-12, 11-11 FC) 83-79 Saturday in the final regular season game of the season.
The win is the Bulldogs' 20th of the season and marks their first 20-win season since 2017-18, when they went 27-8 and earned a trip to the NAIA quarterfinals.
"Huge team win, we had a lot of guys step up," head coach
Patrick Jensen said. "Proud of the guys for staying together and finding a way to win on the road."
STAT BREAKDOWN
UMW shot 51.7 percent (31-60) from the field, 37.5 percent (9-24) from distance, and 60.0 percent (12-20) from the line.
The Bulldogs tallied 30 rebounds, six assists, and eight steals.
They posted 40 points in the paint, 12 points off turnovers, seven second-chance points, and 11 bench points.
LEADERBOARD
Kyle Gruhler led the game with 33 points, followed by
Emanuel Steward with 22.
Gruhler also grabbed a team-best 10 rebounds.
Steward and
Billy Carlson handed out two assists apiece while Steward also snagged a game-high four steals.
NOTABLES
Gruhler earned a career-high in points and season-high in boards.
Steward matched his career-high in steals (four).
The Bulldogs shot over 50.0 percent from the floor for the ninth time.
Western held its opponent under 30.0 percent from three for the second straight game.
Fifth 80-point game in the last six outings.
UMW committed just eight turnovers for the second game in a row.
GAME SUMMARY
A quick three from Gruhler got things going for the Bulldogs, and they led for almost the entire first half.
Western led by as many as six twice in the first 20 minutes, but the Lights kept clawing their way back into the game.
A late layup by the hosts knotted things at 40 as the teams headed to locker rooms.
UMW shot 47.2 percent (17-36) from the field, 28.6 percent (4-14) from three, and 66.7 percent (2-3) from the foul line in the first half.
After the break, the Bulldogs were firing on all cylinders, stretching their lead to as many as 12 with 15 minutes remaining in the game.
Northern fought back again, cutting the lead to one twice more in the contest.
The hosts were down just two with eight seconds left in regulation, but two clutch free throws from
David Young and a defensive stop on the other end sealed the four-point win for Western.
THE OPPOSITION
The Lights shot 47.0 percent (31-66) from the field, 26.7 percent (8-30) from three, and 81.8 percent (9-11) from the foul line. They registered 38 rebounds, 10 assists, and five steals. Austin Ramos posted a team-high 18 points, followed by Raefe McEnroe (17), Luke Holecek (13), and Leon Sayers IV (11). Ramos also pulled down a game-best 13 rebounds. Holecek dished out a game-high three assists while McEnroe snagged three steals.
LOOKING AHEAD
Western turns its attention to the Frontier Conference tournament, taking place Feb. 27-March 2.
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!
