GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence men's basketball team added some new faces to the lineup in its third game of the season. Two transfers played their first minutes as Argos in an 87-70 win over Yellowstone Christian College.
 
Sloppy play dictated the first 10 minutes with the Argos starting an unusual four guard lineup. Both teams missing makeable shots and turning it over often, including 4 turnovers for UP. At the 10:37 mark, YCC, a team UP bean by 25 the year before, led the Argos 12-10.
 
Needed something to bring life into the Argo offense, senior guard Jared Schultz, who had checked in five minutes into the half, answered the call. The Montana native hit 2 consecutive 3-point field goals just under 10 minutes which not only gave UP the lead but also the momentum.
 
Fueled by Schultz's threes, UP went on a 16-4 run and never looked back.
 
Defense was the other major factor in that run. With the team's half court offense stagnant, the Argos were able to get out in transition and turn defense into offense. UP forced 6 turnovers during the 16-4 run and finished the half with 19 points off turnovers.
 
That pattern of play continued for the rest of the half and the Argos built up a 21 point lead that was cut to 18 by the end of the half. Schultz was the team's leading scorer at the break, hitting 3-5 from three for a total of 9 points.
 
Stifling defense was the key in that first half, with UP forcing 15 turnovers. Offensively the team had its best shooting half of the season, hitting 58.6 percent from the field and 53.8 percent from distance.
 
UP played with the lineup more in the second half which didn't slow down the offense much but did seem to weaken the defense. Transfers DuShaun Rice and Deontae Woodbridge, who missed UP's first two games of the season, started to settle into playing with their teammates.
 
Rice, a true point guard who transferred from NCAA DII Central Missouri with one year of eligibility left, proved to be the pass-first player UP Head Coach Anthony Owens was looking for. He only scored 5 points in that game, all of which came in the first half, but he also finished with a team leading 7 assists with 2 blocks, 3 steals, and 0 turnovers.
 
In the frontcourt, the 6-7 Woodbridge showcased strong rebounding and good post moved. He scored 9 of his 13 points in the second half and came close to a double-double with 8 rebounds.
 
Despite those encouraging debuts, UP's defense just wasn't the same in the second half. The Centurions actually beat the Argos in the second half 43-42 in large part to a ton of Argo fouls. YCC shot 19 free throws in the second half after attempting just 2 in the first.
 
Schultz finished as the team's leading scorer with 15 points all of which came from 3-point shots. Senior forward Steven Daho-Clark put up similar numbers to Woodbridge with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 steals. The only other Argo to score in double digits was senior guard Matthew Brooks-McGregor with 11 points including shooting 2-3 from three.
 
UP is now 2-1 on the year and won't play another game that counts towards the team's record until November 10. Before that, the Argos will play two exhibition matches against NCAA DI opponents, starting with Utah State University on November 3.