January 2006
Bulldogs Fall To Westminster
Saturday, January 28 2006
The University of Montana Western Bulldogs lost 72-65 to the Westminster College Griffins in a men’s Frontier Conference game from Dillon’s Straugh gymnasium.
The loss drops the Bulldogs to 9-14 overall and 3-4 in the Frontier. Westminster is now 5-2 in league play and 15-5 overall.
In the game’s opening five minutes, neither team took control. Westminster scored first, and the Bulldogs answered. Westminster’s lead was one over a stretch of three minutes as the teams traded baskets. Western took their first lead on a Tyler Palmer 3-point field goal at 14:23 mark. Then over the next 1:03 seconds, there were five lead changes.
At the 9:28 mark, Westminster grabbed the momentum and built a six point lead, 23-17. That lead was short-lived as Western went on a 7-0 run to lead 24-23. The Bulldogs maintained the lead until the 2:39 mark when a Brandon Sholly jumper tied the game at 29-29. The half ended with the teams tied at 31-31.
Western scored first in the second half with a Jeff Feenstra three-pointer. The Griffins answered with field goals by Jared Ruiz and Nick Booth. The Bulldogs tied the game at 38 on a Wes Morales field goal. At the 14:34 mark, Danny Reeder’s field goal gave Westminster a lead they would never lose 40-38. With an 8-0 run, the Griffins extended their lead to ten, 48-38. In the half’s final minutes, the Bulldogs cut Westminster’s lead to five, 52-57 at the 2:41 mark, but that was as close as they got.
Wes Morales led the Bulldogs with 28 points followed by Jeff Feenstra with 15.
Danny Reeder led Westminster with 25 points followed by Nick Booth with 14, Brandon Sholly with 13 and Jared Ruiz with 11.
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Bulldogs Edged Lewis-Clark in Frontier Conference Thriller
Friday, January 27 2006
Jeff Graham hit a layup with two seconds remaining to lead the University of Montana-Western Bulldogs to a 59-58 men’s Frontier Conference victory over Lewis-Clark State.
The win raises Western’s record to 3-3 in the league and 9-13 overall. Lewis Clark falls to 3-3 in the Frontier and 15-5 overall.
The two teams traded baskets and leads in the game’s first five minutes. Western took a two point lead on a Jeff Graham jumper at the 15:00 minute mark. The Bulldogs led the rest of the half with their biggest lead being five. Western led at the break 35-30.
Lewis-Clark took control in the opening minutes of the second half going on a 17-4 run and built a ten point lead, 49-39 at the 14:12 mark. They extended that lead to 51-39, but that was as big as it would get. The Bulldogs began to chip away at that lead on a 16-2 run to grab a 54-53 lead with 4:06 remaining.
Lewis Clark grabbed a 58-55 lead with 42 seconds remaining. Wes Morales was fouled on the next possession and made both his free throws. On the Warrior possession, Western’s Charlie Cox rebounded a missed Lewis-Clark shot with 17 seconds remaining.
The Bulldogs called time-out to set the play. Cox fed Graham for the game winning shot.
Morales led Western with 19 points followed by Feenstra with 14 and Tyler Palmer with 10.
Jonathon Burnett led Lewis-Clark with 24.
Saturday night, the Bulldogs host Westminster while Lewis-Clark travels to Montana Tech.
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Western Hosts Lewis-Clark and Westminster
Thursday, January 26 2006
The Bulldogs hosts Lewis-Clark on Friday, January 27 and Westminster College on Saturday, January 28 in Frontier Conference men’s basketball action. Tip-off for both games is 8:00 p.m. from Dillon’s Straugh Gymnasium.
Western is 8-13 overall and 2-3 in league action after losing two on the road last weekend. The Bulldogs lost at Rocky 68-75 and at Carroll 73-93.
Lewis-Clark is 15-4 overall, 3-2 in the Frontier and ranked 18th in the NAIA, Division I Power Poll. Last weekend, the Warriors beat the University of Great Falls 77-67 and MSU-Northern 74-41.
Last year, Western and L-C played three times with Lewis-Clark winning all three. In the regular season, the Warriors won big on their home court in Lewiston and won in overtime in Dillon 84-82. The two played for the Frontier Conference tournament championship with Lewis-Clark winning 99-75.
"Lewis Clark State is very talented,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “They are very disciplined at both ends. I don't think this will be a very high scoring game. If we are going to win this one we, will have to win the war in the trenches.”
Eric Durret leads Lewis-Clark in scoring with 15 points per game followed by Jamal Harris with 11.5 and Terreno Butler with 10. The Warriors lead the league and are second in the nation in defensive scoring by giving up only 55 points per game. Offensively, Lewis-Clark averages 72 points per game.
Westminster is also 3-2 in league play after winning two games at home last weekend. The Griffins beat MSU-Northern 88-71 and the University of Great Falls 100-74. They are 13-5 overall and ranked 22nd in the nation.
The Bulldogs lost both regular season games to Westminster last year. Western lost in Salt Lake City 68-80 and at home 65-79.
The Griffins have five players scoring in double figures led by Jared Ruiz with 17.3 points per game followed by Nick Booth with 16 ppg, Danny Reeder with 14.9 ppg and Brandon Sholly with 12.5 ppg. Sholly leads the league and the nation in free percentage, 93.8%. Booth leads the Frontier and is second in the nation in field goal percentage with 51%. Westminster leads the league and is second in the nation in three-point field goal percentage with a shooting percentage of 44%. Westminster averages 72 points while giving up 55%.
“Westminster is solid as always,” noted Durham. “They are a little more up-tempo this year but just as talented. Westminster shoots it very well, and are well coached. We need to keep them off the boards and limit their second chances. Another key is to slow the tempo of the game down and make them play defense."
For the Bulldogs, Tyler Palmer leads the team, the Frontier Conference and is 19th in the nation in scoring with 17.9 points a game. Also scoring in double figures is Charlie Cox with 15 ppg, Wes Morales with 12.9 ppg and Jeff Feenstra with 11.7 ppg. Palmer is second in the conference and nation in free throw percentage with 92%. The Bulldogs lead the nation and the conference in free percentage with 78%. Western averages 85.5 ppg game while giving up 87.5 ppg.
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Bulldogs Fall to League Leading Carroll College
Sunday, January 22 2006
The Bulldogs lost 73-93 to Carroll College in a Frontier Conference men's basketball game from Helena.
The loss dropped Western to 2-3 in league play and 8-13 overall.
The Bulldogs stayed close to Carroll in the first half and only trailed 34-37 at the half-time break.
Carroll put the game out of reach with a combination of hot outside shooting and tight defense. The Saints hit their first five three-point field goals on a second half run to build an 18 point lead at the mid-way point of the second half.
Charlie Cox led the Bulldogs with 26 points followed by Wes Morales with 14. Tyler Palmer, the league's leading scorer was held to four points.
The Bulldogs return home to host Lewis-Clark on Friday, January 27 and Westminster College on Saturday, January 28. Tip-off for both games is 8:00 p.m. from the Straugh Gymnasium.
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Bulldogs Fall to Rocky
Friday, January 20 2006
The Bulldogs had their chances, but in the end, it was Rocky making the big play for the 75-68 Frontier Conference win.
The loss drops Western to 2-2 in the league and 8-12 overall.
The Bulldogs maintained control for most of the tight-game, leading 32-27 at the half. Western stretched their lead to ten 46-36 at the 13:13 mark of the game. Rocky picked away at the Bulldog lead and moved ahead for good 67-65 on a pair of free throws with 1:46 to go.
Tyler Palmer, the league's top scorer, led the Bulldogs with 22 followed by Wes Morales with 18. Morales also led the Bulldogs in rebounding as he pulled down 11.
Western travels to Helena for a game against league leading Carroll College on Saturday night.
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Bulldogs Play at Rocky and Carroll
Wednesday, January 18 2006
The University of Montana Western Bulldog basketball team makes their first Frontier Conference road of the season when they travel to Rocky Mountain College and Carroll College.
The Bulldogs travel to Billings on Thursday, Jan. 19 to face Rocky Mountain and to Helena on January 21 to face Carroll College. Both games tip-off at 8:00 p.m.
The games can heard locally on KDBM-AM and over the internet at sportsjuice.com.
Western is 8-11 overall and 2-1 in conference play after last week’s 78-65 home win over Montana Tech. Rocky is 11-8 overall and 3-1 in league play after last weekend’s road sweep over MSU-Northern 80-79 and University of Great Falls 98-88.
"Rocky is a team very similar to us,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. They don't do anything too flashy, but are getting the job done. Rocky has good balance on offense and play solid man defense. The keys to the game would be to get the ball inside and try to get their two post guys in foul trouble and mix up our defense to keep them off balance.”
Chris Nickolei leads Rocky in scoring with 14 points per game followed by Devin Uskoski with 13.8 points per game. Uskosi leads the team and the Frontier Conference in rebounding with 8.79 rebounds per game. Rocky’s Chris Townley leads the Frontier and is fourth in the nation in three-point field goal percentage with 52.2 %. The Bears average 86. 1 points per game and give up 80.63.
Carroll is 3-1 in league play, 16-2 overall and ranked 7th in the nation. The Saints suffered their first league loss last Saturday when they lost 81-64 at MSU-Northern. Carroll downed Great Falls 104-76 on Friday to earn a split of their weekend road trip.
“Carroll is going to be a tough one,” added Durham. “You hope you catch them on an off night. They have five senior starters and they are all very good. “If we can shoot well and hold our own on the boards, hopefully we can keep it close and make plays down the stretch."
The Saints are led by Jeff Hayes with 16 points a game followed by Travis Williams with 13.9 and Sinan Guler with 12.9. Williams leads the team in rebounding with 5.89 rebounds per game. The Saints average 80.17 points per game while giving up 69.4.
Tyler Palmer leads Western and the Frontier in scoring with 18.5 points per game followed by Charlie Cox with 15.1 points per game. Wes Morales leads the Bulldogs in rebounding with 6.53 per game and Jeff Feenstra with 5.32. Western averages 87 points a game which is first in the Frontier and seventh in the NAIA.
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Bulldogs Retain "Digger-Dawg" Cup
Thursday, January 12 2006
Wes Morales scored 24 points and pulled down ten rebounds as the University of Montana Western Bulldogs downed Montana Tech 78-65 in men’s Frontier Conference game from Dillon’s Straugh Gymnasium.
With the win, Western is now 2-1 in league play and 8-11 overall. Tech drops to 9-8 overall and 1-2 in league play.
The win also lets Western retain the “Digger-Dawg Cup“ for the sixth straight time.
The two teams battled on even terms through out the first eight minutes of the game. Neither team could gain anymore than a four point lead. Then Western went on a 11-1 run to build a 20-11 lead. Tech answered with their own run to cut the lead to 20-19 with seven minutes to play. The Orediggers tied the game at 22 with a TJ Scarbrough free throw and took the lead on their next possession with a Davin Blixt three-pointer. Field goals by Charlie Cox and Justin Hartman helped the Bulldogs retake the lead and start an 8-0 run. Western led at the half 33-27.
Tech opened the second half with their own 8-0 run and took a 35-33 lead at the 18 minute mark. A Jeff Feenstra field goal tied the game and a Wes Morales jumper gave the Bulldogs a lead they would never lose. Western stretched their lead to eight and maintained if over the next six minutes. At the seven minute mark, a Wes Morales field goal gave the Bulldogs a double digit lead which they stretched to sixteen. Tech could get no closer than 12 down the game’s final minutes.
Also scoring in double figures for Western were Charlie Cox with 16, Justin Hartman with 11 and Jeff Feenstra with 10. Kellen Ori led the Bulldogs in rebounds with 11.
Luke Harmon led Montana Tech with 22 followed by Sam Conley with 12 and TJ Scarbrough with 10.
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Bulldogs and Diggers Play For "Digger-Dawg" Cup
Wednesday, January 11 2006
The Bulldogs host the Montana Tech Orediggers in a Frontier Conference game, Thursday, January 12. Tip-off is 8:00 p.m. from Dillon’s Straugh Gymnasium.
The game can be heard on KDBM-AM, 1490 on the AM dial and over the internet on Sportsjuice.com
For the fifth year, the two conference rivals are playing for the “Digger-Dawg” Cup traveling trophy. Western won both games last season to maintain possession of the Cup and leads in the overall series of the Cup 7-1, including the last five in a row.
Entering the game, Western is 7-11 overall and 1-1 in league play after last weekend’s split with MSU-Northern and the University of Great Falls. The Bulldogs lost to MSU-Northern 66-78 and beat Great Falls 111-99.
Montana Tech is 9-7 on the season and 1-1 in the Frontier after also splitting last weekend’s conference games. The Orediggers beat Great Falls 91-83 and lost to Northern 75-77.
"We always love the Tech week,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “They are very talented this year and present a very tough matchup for us. “If we can bring the same intensity from our last game then we will have a shot. Tech has some big wins this year and have played well."
Davin Blixt leads Tech in scoring with 16.1 points per game, which is fifth best in the Frontier. Blixt leads the league in 3-point field goals made and is fourth in the nation with 3.79 per game. T.J. Scarbrough leads the team and is 2nd in the league in rebounding with 7.5 rebounds per game. The Orediggers are averaging 77 points per game while giving up 78.5.
“This game is very important for both teams and we expect a very hard fought game,” said Tech coach Mike Bauer. “Western is very talented offensively and have some guys that are very capable of putting up big numbers. We need to know where their shooters are at all times.
We need to play much smarter basketball than we did last weekend. We had a great weak of practice and really worked on becoming a better team, by becoming smarter. Rivalry games are always fun and our guys are very excited for the game and for the chance to bring the cup back to the Mining City.”
Tyler Palmer leads Western and the Frontier in scoring with 19.1 points per game. He leads the Frontier and is second in the nation in free throw percentage with an 93% average. Wes Morales leads the team in rebounding with 6.33 per game. The Bulldogs are averaging 87.6 points per game, tops in the Frontier and seventh in the nation. Western leads the Frontier and is second in the nation in free throw shooting with an average of 77.8%.
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Bulldogs Pick Up First Conference Win
Saturday, January 7 2006
Six Bulldogs scored in double figures as the University of Montana Western Bulldogs downed the University of Great Falls 111-99 in a high scoring Frontier Conference men’s basketball game from Dillon.
Western improves to 1-1 in league play and 7-11 overall. Great Falls drops to 0-2 in the Frontier and 7-10 overall.
Western scored first on a 3-pt field goal from Jeff Feesnstra. The Bulldogs built their lead to six at the 15 minute mark of he half. UGF then went on a 14-7 run and took their first lead of the game, 23-22, on a Todd Tomlinson 3 point field goal. The two teams traded baskets and leads for the rest of the first half. Western led 49-45 at the break.
The early stages of the second half belonged to Western. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 58-50 lead after only four minutes. Great Falls managed to trim the lead to three several times over the next few minutes. Then, with Western leading 67-61, Charlie Cox hit a three point field goal that ignited a 26-6 Bulldog run. In the midst of the run, UGF coach Antonio Vargas was whistled for a technical and then ejected after another technical was called.
With the score 93-68, Great Falls went on a run of their own. The Argos employed a full-court press and took advantage of Western turnovers to erase the big Bulldog lead. On four straight possessions, Great Falls turned Bulldog turnovers into points, including three straight three-point field goals. What was once a 26 point lead evaporated to a nine point lead, 103-94 at the 1:59 mark. The Bulldogs sealed their first conference win at the free throw line.
Wes Morales led the Bulldogs with 26 points followed by Justin Hartman with 18, Charlie Cox with 17, Tyler Palmer with 16, Jeff Feenstra with 15 and Jeff Graham with 12.
Rashaun Puryear led five Argos in double figures with 22. Todd Tomlinson added 21, Scott Mount 17, Chris Jensen 13 and Royce Fulp with 12.
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Bulldogs Fall to MSU-Northern in Conference Opener
Friday, January 6 2006
The Bulldogs dropped their Frontier Conference opener to MSU-Northern 78-66 in a Frontier Conference men’s basketball game from Dillon.
The win drops the Bulldogs to 0-1 in league play and 6-11 overall. The win raises Northern’s record to 12-5 overall and 1-0 in the Frontier.
The Lights jumped out to a 6-0 lead. Western then outscored the lights 12-4 and lead 12-10 at the 13:42 mark of the first half. Western extended that lead to seven at the 9:55 mark when a Charlie Cox basket gave the Bulldogs a 22-17 lead. Northern then outscored the Bulldogs 14-8 to take a 31-30 lead with four minutes remaining in the half. Western regained the lead and maintained it to lead 37-35 at the half.
The second half was all Northern as the Lights took a 43-41 lead at the 16:27 mark and never looked back. Northern took advantage of Bulldog turnovers in key situations to pull away for the win. The Lights outscored Western 43-29 in the second half.
Tyler Palmer’s 17 points led three Bulldogs scoring in double figures. Wes Morales added 14 followed by Charlie Cox with 13.
Reid Stovall led the Lights with 14 followed by Marcus Wilson and Jordan Mathews with 12 apiece and Brian Erickson with 10.
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Bulldogs Open Conference Play at Home
Thursday, January 5 2006
The Bulldogs open their 2006 Frontier Conference season at home against MSU-Northern on Friday, Jan. 6 and the University of Great Falls on Saturday, Jan. 7. Tip-off is 8:00 p.m. from Dillon’s Straugh Gymnasium.
Western is 6-10 on the season after going 2-1 in Canada last weekend. The Bulldogs lost to the University of Alberta 69-91 and beat King’s University 110-61 and Concordia of Canada 101-67.
MSU-Northern is 11-5 overall after beating the University of Lethbridge 66-61 on New Year’s Eve. Four players average in double figures for the Lights led by Jordan Mathews with 16.6 per game. Cory Brothers and Ronnie Simpson both average 12 per game followed by Marcus Wilson with ten per game. The Lights average 76.1 per game and give up 66 points per game.
The University of Great Falls is 8-7 on the season after weekend wins over the University of Calgary and the University of Lethbridge 86-72. Erik Scott leads the Argos in scoring with 20.5 points per game followed by Tyrone Witherspoon with 18.7 points, Rashaun Puryear with 15.3 and Chris Jensen with 11.5. Great Falls averages 85.9 points per game while giving up 82.2.
"It is conference time and hopefully we will be ready,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “There are no excuses now.!” We have played a very tough pre-season schedule and shouldn't be surprised by anything we see in league play. I am very happy to start the conference season at home.”
The Bulldogs are led in scoring by junior Tyler Palmer with 19.4 points per game. True freshman Charlie Cox is averaging 15 followed by Jeff Feenstra with 12.6 and Wes Morales with 11. The Bulldogs are averaging 87.6 points per game while giving up 89.3.
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