GREAT FALLS, Mont. – A stunning upset win over then  eighth ranked  Lewis-Clark State College, could be a blip on the radar or a season-changing performance for the University of Providence men's basketball based on the upcoming week of games. The Argos currently sit in sixth place in the Frontier Conference, the same place they've finished each of the past three seasons but could get into the top four with road wins over (14) Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College this week.
 
The 70-67 win over LC State last Saturday is evidence that the Argos could be hitting their stride, having gone 3-2 over the past five games, including one win over a ranked team and another over a team receiving votes. That comes after UP lost all of the five games prior to that, four of which were conference games.
 
UP will start its week against the ranked Fighting Saints on Thursday, February 1, at 7:30 p.m. followed by Rocky two days later on Saturday, February 3 at 7:30 p.m.
 
Defense Wins Games
 
The formula for wins for the Argos isn't a complicated one – play inspired defense. Throughout conference play, UP's offense has consistently scored between 60-76 points in eight of the 10 games and lost one of the two games where they scored above that range. The difference between wins and losses has been points allowed.
 
In all but one of the team's 10 wins, UP has allowed under 70 points in regulation, including all three of its most recent wins. On the other side, the Argos have allowed its opponent to score 80 points or more in six of its 10 losses.
 
Conference Standings Math
 
While UP currently sits at a familiar sixth place in the conference standings, the Argos have a chance far exceed the expectations of its recent history. With a conference record of 4-6, the Argos are only two games shy of the teams tied for second place in the conference at 6-4. One of those two teams is Carroll.
 
By winning both games in the upcoming week, it's mathematically possible, though improbable, that the Argos could jump from sixth to tied for second. A more likely result would be the team solidifying its place somewhere in the middle of the pack.
 
Two losses, on the other hand, would likely cement UP into that sixth spot. This year, the Frontier Conference has changed its playoff structure and all seven conference teams will make the postseason instead of the seventh team being left out.
 
UP vs Carroll: Game Notes

• Last time the two teams played, Carroll used a 12-2 run in the first half to separate itself from the Argos in what was otherwise and tightly contested game. The Saints won 86-76.
• UP is 0-4 vs Carroll over the past year and a half but did end the 2015-16 season with a home win over the Fighting Saints. The last time UP beat them in Helena goes back one season further to January 17, 2015.
• Carroll's offense will be hard to slow down, as the Fight Saints are the most efficient scoring unit in the nation. They currently lead NAIA Division I in Field Goal Percentage (54.0 percent) and in Free Throw Percentage (81.7 percent).
• The game will also be a battle of two opportunistic defenses. Carrol ranks 3rd in the nation in Steals per Game (11  spg ) while the Argos rank 14th with 8.9  spg. Last time they faced, Carroll had 9 steals to UP's 5, but both teams had 13 turnovers.
• Senior point guard DuShaun Rice is leading the Argos in scoring with just over 12 points per game and has scored 10 or more in each of his last nine games. The last time he didn't score in double digits was against Carroll when he was held to just 3 points.

 
UP vs Rocky: Game Notes

• The last time the two teams played was the first day of games in conference play. UP hosted the Battlin' Bears and won 86-79 off of a stellar performance from senior guard Sergio Berkley.
• In that game, Berkley scored a career-high 33 points while shooting 10-16 from the field, 3-4 from three, and 10-10 from the free-throw line. Berkley has yet to replicate that kind of output, but he has scored in double digits in seven of the 10 games since.
• UP has taken the last two games from Rocky dating back to last year, but a longer scope shows a balanced history. Since the beginning of the 2015-16 season, RMC holds a slim 4-3 advantage and neither team has swept the season series since the Argos went 2-0 against Rocky in the 2011-12 season.
• Rocky enters the week as the conference's most confusing team. RMC has quality wins over Carroll, LC State, and Montana Western (all of whom were ranked 16 or higher at the time) and in non-conference play only lost to then number 3 William Penn by 7 points. On the other hand, they also have blow-out losses to both Carroll and Western and have dropped games against UP and Montana Tech who hold the bottom two spots in the conference.
• Sophomore forward Jared Samuelson is the top player for RMC, ranking second in the conference in Points Per Game (19.35 ppg), third in Field Goal Percentage (56.2 percent), and second in Rebounds Per Game (8.05  rpg ).
• The calling card of Rocky's style of play is ball movement. The Battlin' Bears rank 12th in the nation in Assists Per Game (17.476) and 13th in Assist/Turnover Ratio (1.325).