GREAT FALLS – A run of three games against three ranked teams is almost at an end for Argo basketball. UGF is currently 1-1 in the stretch with a big home upset against (15) MSU-Northern and a loss at (23) Carroll College. The upcoming weekend of Frontier Conference play will bring the third team in that stretch, as UGF plays host to (11) Montana Western followed by unranked Rocky Mountain College.
The last time the Argos played the Bulldogs, UGF was pulling a 67-64 upset in the first round of the Frontier Conference Tournament. Not only was it the first Argo win in Dillon since the 1980s, but it knocked the Bulldogs both out of the conference playoffs and put the team's resume for an at large bid to the 2016 NAIA Men's Basketball Championship at risk.
This time around, the Bulldogs are on a tear. They enter the weekend as the 11th ranked team in the NAIA and the top team in the Frontier Conference standings with a record of 14-2 (4-0). Western is aggressive on both sides of the floor and features the 4th highest scoring offense in NAIA Division I with an average of 92.1 ppg.
A large part of that offensive output has been a result of getting out into transition with an opportunistic defense. The Bulldogs have grabbed 163 total steals this season, good for 5th in the country, and senior guard Shyke Smalls ranks 1st in Steals per Game (2.875 spg). Smalls also leads the team with 14.8 ppg.
Western's propensity for steals will be key matchup against an Argo offense that has generally taken care of the ball in 2016-17. UGF ranks 8th in the country in Turnover Margin (4.333) and 19th in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.187). The Argo defense has been opportunistic in its own right, averaging 8.53 spg as a team which is good for 17th in NAIA Div. I.
Another crucial aspect of the game will be glass, particularly when Western is on offense. The Bulldogs are 12th in Total Offensive Rebounds (671) but the Argos rank 15th in Defensive Rebounds per Game (29.8 rpg).
The two teams will play on Friday, January 13 at 7:30 p.m. in the McLaughlin Center.
A day after the Western game, the Argos will host Rocky Mountain College at 7:30 p.m. on January 14. While the result of Friday's games could change this, UGF and RMC enter the weekend as two of three teams tied for third place in the Frontier Conference standings with a conference record of 2-2.
The Battlin' Bears went 7-5 in nonconference play, including two loses to Dickinson State (N.D.), who UGF beat 86-77 earlier this season, and an 81-72 loss to Calgary who UGF beat 88-85 on Dec. 28.
Those comparisons aren't necessarily indicative of how the game will go, but, much like against Western, the game could be determined by how well UGF takes care of the ball. Senior guard Taylor Longo for RMC is another one of the nation's best individual defenders, ranking 9th in NAIA Div. I in Total Steals with 33.
The game also has the potential to turn into a 3-point shooting contest. The Battlin' Bears shoot 39 percent from three (18th best in NAIA DI), while the Argos hit over eight shots from long range per game and senior forward Isaac Howard ranks 12th in 3-pt. Field Goal Percentage (48.8 percent).
Over the past two years, Rocky has gotten the best of the Argos. UGF is 2-4 against RMC over the best two seasons, which one of those wins coming on a game winning alley-oop in the finals seconds at home on January 23.
The UGF vs. RMC game will be broadcast live on SWX Montana.
GAME LINKS
UGF vs. Montana Western – Live Streaming | Live Stats | Radio
UGF vs. Rocky Mountain – Live Streaming | Live Stats | Radio
