GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence will hope to continue their recent winning streak on Thursday, when the Argos (14-3) take on #21 Montana Western. The game, which will double as Military Appreciation Night, will tip off at 5:00 p.m. on Jan. 6 in the McLaughlin Center.

Following the game on Thursday, the Argos will host another big Frontier Conference matchup against Montana Tech on Saturday. That game will begin at 2:00 p.m. in the McLaughlin Center and will be Law Enforcement Appreciation Night.

"These are huge conference games," head coach Bill Himmelberg said. "Western is ranked and Tech is very good. We have to get both of these. They are both rolling. They're feeling very good about themselves so it's going to be important that we get these ones."

The Argos are currently on a five-game winning streak after defeating Dickinson State last week and sweeping their three games at the Cactus Classic in Phoenix, Ariz. before Christmas, including a win over #17 Dakota State. They know that things won't get any easier in the brutal Frontier Conference, and have ramped up the energy in practice in preparation. 

"We have to raise our intensity level because we're in conference now and practice has reflected that," Himmelberg said. "We've been working on a lot of execution and cleaning up some things defensively. We watched a lot of film from Dickinson and Phoenix on some defensive things that we didn't like. We're focused on cleaning that up and getting better at that."

The Bulldogs (10-3) are also coming off a sweep at the Cactus Classic and will present a sturdy challenge for the squad. They are an aggressive defensive team known for their constant full-court pressure. Offensively, they are currently 5^th in the nation in three-point percentage (37.5%).

"They always play a lot of guards so we don't always match up great with them," Himmelberg said. "We need to take care of the basketball, defend the three-point line and make sure that we're communicating defensively so that nobody breaks free and gets open looks."

The team will have to switch gears abruptly following Thursday's game as they prepare for the Orediggers (9-8). They are also a hot shooting team, ranking 7^th in the nation in three-point percentage (37.0%).

"We match up a little bit better with Tech," Himmelberg said. "They play so hard so we have to match that. We have to turn up the defensive pressure and make sure we take care of the ball on our end and be able to make shots."

The University of Providence is requiring all guests to wear a mask in all indoor areas from Jan. 5 - Jan. 18. The University continues to support the recommendations of public health officials that the best ways to mitigate risk include getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and testing as appropriate.