HELENA, Mont. – The baskets in Helena seemed more than regulation size. Both the University of Great Falls and the University of Jamestown (N.D.) shot well over 50 percent from the field, but the Jimmies offense was just a bit better than UGF's in an 84-81 loss for the Argos. An 11-0 run from Jamestown in the middle of the first half was the defining factor in UGF's first loss of the season.
 
Before that run started, the game was punch-counterpunch and UGF held a slim 20-17 lead with 8 minutes and 40 seconds on the clock. That's when, just for a few minutes, the lid went on the basket for the Argos and the Jimmies pulled away. Within three minutes UGF was down 30-20.
 
UGF guard Matthew Brooks-McGregor hit the team's first 3-pointer of the game with 5 minutes on the clock to end the 11-0 Jamestown run. Despite that bucket, the Argos couldn't close that gap by the end of the half, as the Jimmies answered every score.
 
The Jamestown lead grew to 46-30 in the first two and half minutes of the second half, but the Argos then started to fight back. A comeback effort started with junior Jared Schultz who scored twice and assisted on a third score in two minutes of play to bring the deficit back to 10.
 
That's when UGF got hot from behind the arch. In the final 11 and a half minutes of the game senior forward Isaac Howard hit three 3s, junior guard Sergio Berkley and junior guard Davone Oliver Jr. each hit two, and senior forward Sigman Farmer III and Brooks-McGregor each hit one to give UGF 11 made 3-pointers in the half.
 
One of Berkley's threes came at the 6:22 mark and pulled the Argos within two points with the score at 65-63. Once the score closed to within that margin, however, the Jimmies responded working the lead back up to 10 with just over two minutes remaining.
 
Another furious rally of 3s again closed the gap and a Howard's third long distance make made the score 83-81 with 13 second left. One made Jamestown free throw brought the lead to three and Howard got one last heave as the clock expired but couldn't come away with the game tying buzzer beater.
 
Both teams shot shockingly well from the field, with Jamestown hitting almost 63 percent of its shots and Great Falls hitting just over 57 percent. While UGF didn't get the better of the shooting from the field, it did outshoot the Jimmies from both behind the line (64.7 percent to 50 percent) and the free-throw line (85.7 percent to 72.2 percent).
 
Jamestown held slight a 23-20 rebounding advantage, but the Jimmies main advantage came in getting close to the basket, outscoring UGF 38-22 from the paint.
 
Berkley finished with one of the best games of his career, finishing with a career high of 19 points off 8-9 shooting. He also added 3 assists and 0 turnovers.
 
Oliver was other starter to finish with over 10 points, scoring 11 by way of 2-3 shooting from three and a perfect 3-3 from the charity stripe.
 
Leading the way for UGF's 48 total bench points where Farmer and Howard who finished with 12 and 11 points respectively. Farmer also had a team leading 2 steals and tied for the team lead with 5 rebounds.
 
The loss is the first of the season for UGF and brings the team's record to 3-1 on the season. The Argos will travel back down to Helena for another neutral site game on November 19, this time for a 5:30 p.m. game against Dickinson State.