December 2004
Bulldogs Compete in Grand Canyon Classic Holiday Tournament
Monday, December 27 2004
The University of Montana-Western Bulldog basketball team swings back into action when they compete in the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Arizona. The Bulldogs play the Northwestern Oklahoma University Rangers on Thursday, December 30 and Concordia University Bulldogs of Nebraska on Friday, December 31.
Western is 11-3 on the season and ranked 8th in the latest NAIA, Division I, Top-25.
Northwestern Oklahoma, a NAIA Division I school and a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference, is 5-4 on the season. In three of their four losses, the game was decided in overtime. Their last game was on December 21 when they lost at Oklahoma State 92-35. The Rangers are led by Keith West with 9.6 points per game. Northwestern Oklahoma is averaging 65 points a game while giving up 66.6 points a game.
Concordia University, is an NAIA, Division II school from the Great Plains Athletic Conference. They are currently ranked ninth in the NAIA, Division II Top-25. The Bulldogs won their first thirteen games before losing on December 11 at Briar Cliff in a GPAC game. Concordia is 13-1 overall and 5-1 in league play. The Bulldogs have four players averaging in double figures led by Jason Jisa with 15 points and Jon Ziegler with 14.8 points per game. Concordia is averaging 80 points a game while giving up 63. Concordia and Western even have a common opponent in Johnson and Wales. Both schools won in close games. Concordia won 91-85 while Western won 109-107.
"We are playing two very good teams in this tournamen, “ said Western coach Mark Durham. Northwest Oklahoma State is in one of ther stronger conferences in the NAIA and all the teams in that league are very good. Concordia (Nebraska) is ranked #9 in the NAIA Division II poll and definitely deserve to be ranked that high. W are going down to play one game at a time and hopefully do well. These games are good because they are on a neutral court against good teams, which will be a good tune-up for the start of Conference play, and that is when the real test begins. The guys are really anxious to get back to the business of basketball.
Western is led in scoring by Matt Luedtke with 23.6 points per game, Bo Segeberg with 21.2 and Tyler Palmer with 14 points a game. Segeberg also leads the team in rebounding with nine rebounds a game followed by Brandon Day with 6.4 per game. The Bulldogs average 90 points a game while giving up 81.
Western opens Frontier Conference play on Friday, January 7 at MSU-Northern followed by a Saturday, January 8th game at the University of Great Falls.
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Luedtke Named Frontier Conference Player of the Week
Tuesday, December 21 2004
Matt Luedtke, a 6-1 senior guard from Ronan, was named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week. Luedtke scored 34 points in the Bulldogs' win over King's University. He shot 74% from field including 5 of 10 from three-point land.
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Bulldogs Crush King's University
Saturday, December 18 2004
Five players scored in double figures as the Bulldogs routed the King's University Eagles of Canada 131-60 in a non-conference men's college basketball game.
Western raised their record to 11-3 with the lop-sided win over the school from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
Western led 62-25 at the half and outscored the Eagles 69-35 in the second half.
Matt Luedtke led Western with 35 points followed by Bo Segeberg and Tyler Palmer with 24 each, Brandon Day with 14 and Jeff Feenstra with 12. Luedtke hit 14 of 19 from the field, including 5 of 10 from long distance. Matt Cornelius led the Bulldogs in rebounding with 11 followed by Day with 10.
Western is off until December 29-30 when they compete in the Grand Canyon Classic in Phoenix, Arizona.
-WESTERN-
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Bulldogs Host King's University
Thursday, December 16 2004
The Bulldogs host The King's University College of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada on Saturday, December 18. Tip-off is 8:00 p.m. from the Straugh Gymnasium.
The Bulldogs are 10-3 on the season and ranked 8th in the nation after last weekend's 109-107 shootout thriller over Johnson and Wales College. Bo Segeberg led Western with 43 points and 14 rebounds.
The King's University is a member of the Alberta Colleges Athletic Conference. They are 4-8 on the season prior to a Friday night game at Montana Tech.
“We don't know a lot about King's University,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “One thing for sure, it is really nice to have a full week of practice to work on some things. We are getting closer to conference so we need to make sure we have everything in. Hopefully we can come out Saturday night with a lot of energy and get the opportunity to try the new things in a game situation.”
Matt Luedtke continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 22.8 points a game followed by Segeberg with 21 and Tyler Palmer with 13.4. Segeberg leads Western in rebounds with 9.6 per game followed by Brandon Day with six.
The Bulldogs are averaging 86.9 points a game while giving up 82.2. This will be the first meeting between the two schools.
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Bulldogs Edge Johnson and Wales in Non-Conference Shoot-out
Friday, December 10 2004
Senior Bo Segeberg scored 43 points to lead the University of Montana-Western Bulldogs over the Johnson and Wales Wildcats 109-107 in a non-conference men's college basketball game Friday night from Dillon.
The two teams traded baskets and leads in the game's first three minutes until Johnson and Wales went on a 10-2 run and led 18-9 at the 14:03 mark of the half. The Bulldogs answered with an 10-0 run of their own to lead 19-18. Western maintained that lead until the Wildcats tied the game at 34 with 6:27 led. Johnson and Wales led at the break 58-53.
Johnson and Wales got off to a fast start in the second half and quickly grabbed a 68-59 lead. Back to back three point field goals by Jeff Graham cut the Wildcats lead to three. Johnson and Wales maintained their lead until Matt Luedtke's three-point field goal gave the Bulldogs an 87-86 lead.
The two teams traded leads in the game's final seven minutes. Jeff Graham hit a three-point field goal with six seconds remaining to give the Bulldogs a 109-107 lead. On the ensuing possession,with three seconds left, the Wildcats' Jason Davis missed the front-end of a one and one. Bo Segeberg got the rebound and the game was over.
Segeberg was 17 of 22 from the field and 9 of 10 from the free throw line. Matt Luedtke scored 29, Tyler Palmer 18 and Jeff Graham had 15 to round out the Bulldog scoring.
Mike Gomez scored 38 to lead Johnson and Wales and Donald Whitfield had 37.
The Bulldogs return to action Saturday, December 18 when they host Kings University.
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Bulldogs host Johnson and Wales in Non-Conference Action
Thursday, December 9 2004
The University of Montana-Western Bulldog basketball team hosts the Johnson and Wales University Wildcats of Denver, Colorado, Friday, December 10. Tipoff is 8:00 p.m. from the Straugh Gymnasium. The Lady Bulldog JV's host the Rocky Mountain College JV's at 6:00 p.m.
Western is 9-3 on the season and ranked tenth in the latest NAIA Division I power poll. The Bulldogs lost to the University of Utah in an exhibition game Wednesday in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Johnson and Wales is 6-8 on the season. Last weekend, they lost to Metro State 89-77 and to Colorado School of Mines 94-73.
"This team is a very athletic and a very talented team,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “They have played a lot of tough teams and a lot of road games. They will be a very tough test for us. We are excited to play at home since we haven't been here for a month,”
Two of Johnson and Wales victories were over the University of Great Falls in October. The Wildcats beat UGF 82-77 and 108-92.
Western is led in scoring by Ronan senior Matt Luedtke with 22 points and California senior Bo Segeberg with 19. Segeberg also leads the team in rebounding with 9.3 rebounds a game.
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Bulldogs Lose to Utah
Thursday, December 9 2004
The Bulldogs fell to the University of Utah 98-63 in an exhibition men's college basketball game from Salt Lake City, Utah on Wednesday night.
Western trailed 48-30 at the half as Utah shot 63% from the field and held the Bulldogs to 46%.
The second half was a repeat of the first half as Utah outscored the Bulldogs 50-33. The Utes shot a sizzling 67% from the field and held Western to 41%.
The Bulldogs were led by Matt Luedtke with 24 points followed by Bo Segeberg and Tyler Palmer with 14 points each.
Western returns to action on Friday, December 10 when they host Johnson and Wales University from Denver, Colorado.
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Bulldogs Nationally Ranked
Tuesday, December 7 2004
Both the University of Montana-Western men's and women's basketball teams are ranked in the top-25 of the latest NAIA Division I Power Poll.
The Western men's team, 9-3 on the season, is ranked #10, while the Lady Bulldogs, 7-3 on the season are ranked #22.
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Bulldogs Face University of Utah
Tuesday, December 7 2004
The University of Montana-Western travels to Salt Lake City, Utah for a men's exhibition college basketball game against the University of Utah, Wednesday, December 8. Tip-off is 7:05 p.m. from the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
Western is 9-3 on the season after their split at the Quinn Classic at La Grande, Oregon. The Bulldogs lost to Albertson College 80-76 and beat Eastern Oregon 74-68.
Utah, an NCAA, Division I school, is 4-2 on the season after losing to Utah State 71-45 this past Saturday.
"Obviously we are the underdog in this one,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “We are just going to go in and play hard, try to mix up the defenses, and try to keep it close. If we could hit some 3's and hold our own on the boards we have a chance.”
Matt Luedtke leads four Bulldogs in double figure scoring. Luedtke averages 22 points a game followed by Bo Segeberg with 19, Tyler Palmer with 13 and Jeff Feenstra with 10. The Bulldogs are averaging 85 points a game while giving up 80.
Andrew Bogut leads Utah in scoring with 17.3 points a game followed by Marc Jackson with 12.8.
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Bulldogs at Eastern Oregon Tourney
Tuesday, December 7 2004
December 3, 2004 - The University of Montana-Western Bulldogs basketball team travels to La Grande, Oregon for the 6th annual Quinn Classic Friday, December 3 and Saturday, December 4.
Western is 8-2 on the season after completing a sweep of Jamestown College and Dickinson State on their Thanksgiving trip to North Dakota.
Friday, December 3, the Bulldogs play Albertson College at 6:00 p.m.(pst). Albertson, a member of the Cascade Conference, is 6-2 on the season after winning the Westminster Classic last weekend in Salt Lake City. One win that doesn’t show up on Albertson’s record was a 21 point exhibition victory over Boise State. Last year, Albertson downed the Bulldogs in Dillon 99-87.
"Another long road trip this week, “ said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “We are playing Albertson Friday night in La Grande They are a very good basketball team. They beat Boise State by 21 and also swept Westminster College. Albertson is well coached, play good defense, and are really patient on offense. We will have to play well to compete with these guys.”
Saturday, Western faces the host Eastern Oregon Mountaineers. The Bulldogs downed EOU a month ago 95-84 in the season opener for both teams. Eastern Oregon picked up their first win of the season Tuesday night when they beat Walla Walla College 81-73. The Mountaineers are now 1-4 with all four losses coming against Frontier Conference schools.
“This is a rematch with Eastern Oregon.,” added Durham. "It will be another tough road game. I'm sure they are getting better. They have a new coach and a lot of new players so the more games they play the better they will be. We will try to focus on defense and doing a better job of blocking out."
Matt Luedtke continues to lead the Bulldogs in scoring with 22 points a game followed by Bo Segeberg with 19, Tyler Palmer with 14 and Jeff Feenstra with 10.8. Segeberg is tops in rebounding with 9.6 per game followed by Brandon Day with 6.6. The Bulldogs are averaging 87 points a game.
Western returns to the Straugh Gymnasium to host Johnson and Wales College of Colorado on Friday, December 10.
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Bulldogs Win 2
Tuesday, December 7 2004
The Bulldogs snapped their two game losing streak with a pair of wins on their Dakota swing. On Wednesday, Western played at Jamestown College and won 80-70 and Friday, won at Dickinson State 97-91.
Against Jamestown, the first half belonged to the Bulldogs as they took control at the opening tip and led 44-33 at the half. In the second half, Jamestown fought back back and cut into the Western lead but could never take the lead as the Bulldogs answered each Jamestown run with a run of their own.
Matt Luedtke led the Bulldogs with 23 points followed by Bo Segeberg and Jeff Graham with 17 each and Tyler Palmer with 14. Segeberg and Luedtke led Western in rebounding with eight rebounds apiece.
Friday night against Dickinson, the Bulldogs started out cold and trailed at the half 50-35. The second half was all Western as the 'Dawgs' outscored Dickinson 62-41. Five Bulldogs scored in double figures led by Bo Segeberg and Matt Luedtke with 24 points apiece. Tyler Palmer scored 18 followed by Jeff Feenstra with 12 and Jeff Graham with 10.
The Bulldogs are now 8-2 on the season. This weekend (December 3-4) they travel to La Grande, Oregon for the 6th annual Quinn Classic.
-Wally Feldt
Director of News & Publications/Sports Information
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Bulldogs Make Dakota Swing
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 23, 2004 - The University of Montana-Western Bulldog basketball team travels to the Dakotas for a pair of games Wednesday, November 24 and Friday, November 26. Western is 6-2 after a 88-70 loss at Southern Utah this past Friday
night.
On Wednesday, November 24, the Bulldogs play at Jamestown, North Dakota against Jamestown College. Jamestown is 3-4 on the season after a 104-71 loss at Northern State on Monday night. On October 30, Jamestown
lost 104-80 to the Bulldogs in Dillon. Six Bulldogs scored in double
figures in the win over Jamestown. Bo Segeberg, Matt Luedtke and Tyler
Palmer tied for scoring honors with 21 points each.
Friday, November 26, Western travels to Dickinson, North Dakota for a
rematch against Dickinson State. The Bulldogs handled Dickinson 91-80
just two weeks ago. Tyler Palmer came off the bench to lead the Bulldog
scoring with 29 points. Dickinson is 0-5 on the season after losing
84-81 at Carroll College this past Saturday.
“We better be ready!” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “These will be
two tough road games. “They are re-match games against teams we have
beaten already, but, things are always different on the road. “We are
coming off two Division I games and are working on some things that got
hurt us.”
Four Bulldogs are averaging double figures in scoring led by Luedtke
with 22 points followed by Segeberg with 18.9, Palmer with 13.6 and
Jeff Feenstra with 11.4.
-WESTERN-
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Bulldogs Face Southern Utah
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 17, 2004 – The Bulldogs will play their second straight game against an NCAA, Division I opponent when they travel to Cedar City, Utah to face Southern Utah, Friday, November 19. Tipoff is 7:05 p.m. from the Centrum Arena.
The Bulldogs are 6-1 on the season after last Friday’s loss at the University of Montana 89-68. Bo Segeberg led Western with 23 points and 11 rebounds.
Southern Utah has played two exhibition games. The Thunderbirds downed Grand Canyon 72-61 and Western State of Colorado 69-51.
"We are very excited to play Southern Utah,” said Bulldogs head coach Mark Durham. There is no pressure on us! They are a team that plays 40 minutes of zone which we never see, so it should be fun. If we can hit some 3's and survive on the boards I think we can hang with them."
This will be the fifth time the two teams have played, dating back to 1973. Southern Utah won in Cedar City in 1973 and 1974. In 1975, the Bulldogs won two in the Straugh Gymnasium.
Four Bulldogs average in double figures in scoring led by Matt Luedtke with 22 followed Bo Segeberg with 19.6, Tyler Palmer with 13.7 and Jeff Graham with 11.7. Segeberg leads Western in rebounding with 9.3 per game.
The Bulldogs are averaging 89 points a game while giving up 81.
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Streak Ends for Bulldogs
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 15, 2004 - The Uneversity of Montana-Western Bulldogs saw their unbeaten streak end in Missoula at the hands of the University of Montana Grizzlies 89-68.
The Grizzlies, an NCAA, Division I team, took advantage of the cold shooting Bulldogs in the second on the way to the non-conference victory. Montana also had the advantage in rebounding holding a 50-35 edge on the boards. Western trailed by only eight at the half-time break, but were outscored 47-34 in the second half.
Bo Segeberg led the Bulldogs with 23 points and 13 rebounds followed by Matt Luedtke with 21 points and Jeff Feenstra with 13. The Bulldogs were perfect from the free throw line as the hit 13 of 13.
Western faces another Division I opponent when they travel to Cedar City, Utah for a game against Southern Utah on Friday, November 19.
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Undefeated Bulldogs Host Dickinson State
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 10, 2004 - The University of Montana-Western Bulldog basketball team puts their unbeaten record on the line when they host the Blue Hawks of Dickinson State University, Thursday, November 11. Tip-off is 7:00 p.m. from Dillon’s Straugh Gymnasium.
Western is 5-0 on the season after going unbeaten at the Homestakes Classic last weekend in Salt Lake City. The Bulldogs defeated three highly regarded NAIA teams from Southern California including a win over #6 Concordia.
Dickinson is 0-2 on the season after losses to MSU-Northern (81-73) and Rocky Mountain College (97-79). Last year, the Blue Hawks, members of the Dak-10 Conference, were 24-8 overall. Two of their wins came at the expense of Western. Dickinson beat the Bulldogs 116-100 in Dillon and 115-92 at Dickinson, North Dakota.
"We want to keep our momentum going from last week,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “We need to keep improving on the defensive end. Dickinson smoked us twice last year and we know we will have to play well because they are a good team. “Hopefully the guys aren't looking ahead to the Montana game. We need to take care
of business on Thursday first and then worry about the Grizzlies."
Matt Luedke leads six Bulldogs scoring in double figures. Luedke is averaging 24 points a game followed by Bo Segeberg with 20, Tyler Palmer with 12.4, Jeff Graham with 12, Jeff Feenstra with 11 and Brandon Day with 10.2.
Segeberg leads Western in rebounding with 8.2 rebounds a game followed by Brandon Day with 7.4 and Jeff Feenstra and Derek Hibbert with six apiece. Hibbert leads the Bulldogs in assists with nine per game.
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Bulldogs Begin Season With 5-0 Record
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 10, 2004 - The Bulldogs stayed unbeaten with a three game sweep at the Homestead Studio Suites Invitational in Salt Lake City.
On Thursday, Nov. 4, Western opened the tournament with a 89-75 win over Concordia of California. Concordia was ranked #6 in the NAIA Division I Pre-Season Poll. Four Bulldogs scored in double figures led by senior Bo Segeberg with 22. Senior Matt Luedtke added 22 followed by Jeff Graham with 17 and Brandon Day with 12. Segeberg led the ‘Dawgs’ in rebounding with 11.
On Friday, Nov. 5. Westerm scored an 85-74 win over Notre Dame de Namur. Three Bulldogs scored in double figures led by Matt Luedtke with 37 including 8 of 12 from three point land. Bo Segeberg added 17 points followed by Tyler Palmer with 12. Segeberg once again led Western in rebounds with 12.
On Saturday, Nov. 6, the Bulldogs downed Point Loma Nazarene 92-83 behind the 24 points and ten rebounds of Bo Segeberg. Matt Luedtke added 18 points followed by Brandon Day with 15 and Jeff Feenstra with 13. Derek Hibbert dished out ten assists. Western was the only team in the six team tournament to go unbeaten.
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Western Raises Record to 3-0
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 5, 2004 - Western raised their record to 3-0 as they thumped 6th ranked Concordia of California 89-75 at the Homestead Studio Invitational Tournament in Salt Lake City.
"I thought we kept our poise pretty well," said head coach Mark Durham. "They really pressured us and we did an okay job against it. We rebounded wll and shot well from the free throw line. This is obviously a good win for the program. Concordia has played in the last two NAIA Division I championship games and won it all two years ago."
Western led 43-33 at the half and outscored Concordia 46-33 in the second half as they raised their record to 3-0.
Bo Segeberg led Western with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Also scoring in double figures for Western were Matt Luedtke with 20, Jeff Graham with 17 and Brandon Day with 12.
The Bulldogs face Notre Dame De Namur of California Friday (Nov.5) at 5:00 p.m. Notre Dame lost to Westminster on Thursday 81-39.
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Bulldog Basketball in Salt Lake City Tournament
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 3, 2004 - The University of Montana-Western Bulldog basketball team travels to Salt Lake City, Utah for the Homestead Studio Suites Invitational Thursday, November 4 through Saturday, November 6.
Western is 2-0 after home wins against Eastern Oregon (95-84) and Jamestown College (104-80).
“I thought we had a good opening weekend,” said Bulldog coach Mark Durham. “We played unselfish, rebounded well, and really had a good tempo going. “We can definitely get better on the defensive end and I'm excited to see if we will in the next few games."
On Thursday, the Bulldogs play the Concordia University of Irvine California, a member of the Golden Coast Athletic Conference. Last year, Concordia won their league and finished the year with a 33-5 season. Concordia lost 74-70 to Mountain State College in the NAIA Division I National Championship game. This will be Concordia’s first game of the season.
Tipoff is 3:00 p.m.
"This is going to be a great measuring stick to see how we stack up nationally,” added Durham. “Concordia has played in the last two national championship games.”
Friday, November 5 at 5:00 p.m., Western plays the Notre Dame de Nemar University Argos of Belmont, California. NDNU is a member of the California Pacific Conference and was 15-17 overall.
On Saturday, November 6 at 1:00 p.m., Western plays Point Loma Nazarene College, also a member of the Golden Coast Athletic Conference. Point Loma was 15-18 last year.
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Bulldogs Open Season With Pair of Wins
Tuesday, December 7 2004
November 1, 2004 - The University of Montana-Western Bulldog basketball team opened their 2004-05 season with a pair of impressive wins.
On Friday, October 29, Western downed the Eastern Oregon Mountaineers 95-84. The game was close from start to finish with neither team dominating. Western led 48-42 at the half.
In the second half, the teams battled evenly in the opening minutes of the second half before Western took control. The Mountaineers cut the Western lead to six three times, but that was as close as they got in the game.
Matt Luedtke led six Bulldogs scoring in double figures. Luedtke, a senior from Ronan poured in 25 points followed by Bo Segeberg with 16 and Brandon Day with 13. Tyler Palmer, Jeff Graham and Jeff Feenstra added 12 points apiece. Feenstra and Day led the Bulldogs in rebounding with nine each.
On Saturday, Western downed the Jamestown College Jimmies 104-80. The Bulldogs fell behind in the game's early minutes before going on a 10-2 run and building a 28-22 lead at the 13 minute mark. In the final three minutes of the first half, Western outscored the Jimmies 10-2 and led at the break 58-46.
The second half belonged to the Bulldogs as they built leads of as large as 32. Fine Bulldogs scored in double figures led by Bo Segeberg, Matt Luedtke and Tyler Palmer with 21 each. Jeff Feenstra added 17 and Jeff Graham followed with 13.
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Bulldog Hoops Adds Anaconda Star
Tuesday, December 7 2004
June 24, 2004 -- Ryan Blume, a 6-4, 190 lb forward from Anaconda, has signed a Frontier Conference/NAIA letter of intent to play basketball for the University of Montana-Western, according to head coach Mark Durham.
Blume averaged 12 points, three assists and seven rebounds per game during his senior season. He was fifth in the conference in free throw shooting.
"Ryan is another good Montana kid we have added to our program," said Durham. "I like his size and the potential he shows to develop into a good college player."
In addition to basketball, he also participated in football and track and earned All-Conference honors in both sports.
From the classroom, he was selected to the Honor Roll and to Who's Who Among American High School Students.
Blume, a 2004 graduate of Anaconda Senior High School, plans to major in industrial technology at Western. He is the son of Dan Blume and Jeanice Blume.
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MSU Transfer Heads to Western
Tuesday, December 7 2004
June 8, 2004 -- Bo Segeberg, a 6-10, 250 lb post player from Wrightwood, California, has signed a Frontier Conference/NAIA letter of intent to play basketball for the University of Montana-Western, according to head coach Mark Durham. Segeberg transfers to Western from Montana State University-Bozeman.
Segeberg began his collegiate career at Sacramento State before transferring to Montana State, where he played for two seasons. In his last season as a Bobcat, he started in seventeen games and averaged 8.4 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. Segeberg hit 51.8% of his field goals and 72% of his free throws