08/04/2009
05/26/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 26, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of Mark Celaya to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Celaya is transferring to the University of Great Falls from Glendale Community College in Glendale, Arizona. A native of Chander, Arizona, the 6'2" guard is a graduate of Hamilton High School. During his senior season in high school, he was a First Team All-Region selection. This past season at Glendale C.C., Mark appeared In 30 games while averaging 10.3 points per contest as well as shooting 41% from long distance and connecting on 51% of his field goals. When he enrolls at the University of Great Falls in the fall, he plans on majoring in Biology.
“Mark Celaya is a tough, scrappy player with a very good skill set,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “He more than held his own this past season at Glendale, which competes in one of the tougher junior college conferences in America. I am confident that Mark can step right in and be a contributor for us at the guard position.”
“I am very happy to be joining the Argo basketball program," said Celaya. “I had a great campus visit earlier this month and I was impressed with how the coaching staff emphasized the education process. They fully understand that I am here to get my degree and compete on the basketball court at a high level.On the court, I am going to do what I do best to help us win.”
05/22/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 22, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of L.J. Jones to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
L.J. Jones comes to the University of Great Falls from Scottsdale Community College in Scottsdale, Arizona. A native of Anaheim, California, Jones is a graduate of McClintock High School in Arizona. As a freshman at Scottsdale C.C., he averaged 13.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per game during the 2007-08 season. That season he was named to the Third Team All-Region and was second in the ACCAC (Arizona Community College Athletic Association) in rebounding. The 6'6" forward was also a Pre-Season Junior College All-American selection by njcaa.org for the 2008-2009 season, but he was forced to sit out the season on a medical red-shirt. Jones will have three years of eligibility remaining and he plans to major in Computer Science and Communications while attending the University of Great Falls.
“We are thrilled to have gotten a commitment from L.J. Jones,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “He can play both in the post and on the perimeter which is something we ask our forwards to do quite a bit. Aside from his obvious physical ability, what sets L.J. apart is his strong positive mentality and his goal-oriented approach. We are looking for him to be an impact player during his time here at the University of Great Falls.”
“I am very excited about joining the Univeristy of Great Falls," said Jones. “I feel I am going to bring great presence to the court and a determination to win that'll be very valuable to the team. I believe the atmosphere is a great place for me to stay focused and achieve my goals, both academically and competitively.”
05/19/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 19, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of Brandon Boka to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Boka will join the men's basketball team from Beaverhead County High School in Dillon, Montana where he helped lead coach Terry Thomas' team to a 20-3 record and the 2009 Class A State Championship. During his senior year, the 5'8" point guard averaged 10.3 points, 2.6 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game for the Beavers. He also connected on 48% of his field goals and 44% from behind the arc. Brandon was also a member of the Class A State Tournament All-Tournament Team and was a Second Team All-Conference selection. While attending the University of Great Falls this fall, he plans to major in Physical Education.
“The Argo basketball program is proud to announce the signing of Brandon Boka today,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “Brandon is a feisty competitor who plays the game the way it should be played. He is a hard worker and the bottom line is that he is a winner, as evidenced by him leading the Beavers to the State Championship this past season.”
“I am excited to become a part of the University of Great Falls community," said Boka. “I believe the University of Great Falls is a great place and I really hope I can help the basketball program.”
05/18/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 18, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signings of Wyoming natives John Erdahl and Russell Shelton to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
John Erdahl comes to the University of Great Falls from Ten Sleep High School in Ten Sleep, Wyoming. The 6'4" forward averaged 22.3 points, 13.6 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game during his junior and senior seasons for coach Dusty Stephenson. John was a four-year letterman in basketball, football and track as well as a two-time First Team All-State selection in basketball. He was also the 2009 1A Northwest Basketball Player of the Year and the 1A/2A Northwest Academic-Athlete of the Year. He plans to major in Art and Math Education at the University of Great Falls in the fall.
“We are thrilled to add John Erdahl to our men's basketball program here at the University of Great Falls,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “He comes with a long list of honors, both academically and athletically. He is exactly the type of student we are looking for. On the court, our coaching staff is confident that he will make the adjustment from 1A high school basketball to the college game, given his drive and commitment to improving.”
“Coming from a smaller school, I really like the size and especially the family atmosphere of the campus (at UGF)," said Erdahl. “I am truly excited and honored to be given the opportunity to play basketball at the University of Great Falls and I will work extremely hard to help the team succeed. The combination of athletics and academics appear to be a very good fit for me.”
The Argos have also added Russell Shelton from Worland High School in Worland, Wyoming. As a 6'0" guard on coach Kermit Sweeney's squad last season, he averaged 7.8 points, 2.1 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 2.2 steals per game. The former Wyoming standout will major in Physical Education at the University of Great Falls.
“The key thing when you talk about Russell (Shelton) is his potential,” said UGF assistant men’s basketball coach Mike Miranto. “He was a key member of one of Wyoming's better teams this past year and I think it is evident that he is extremely excited about the chance to compete at the college level. That excitement tells me, as a coach, that he is willing to put in the time to improve and we are confident that he can do that here.”
“I chose the University of Great Falls because I really like the compact atmosphere and the individualized attention I am going to receive from the professors," said Shelton. “The basketball program may be in the growing stages but I know that this is the right choice for me because I want to help build this program into a winner. The people at the Universitywere great to me when I came on my campus visit and I think that Great Falls is a wonderful city for me to have my colllege experience.”
05/12/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 12, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of Christian Jeter to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Jeter will join the Argo men's basketball team from Las Vegas, Nevada. A 2005 graduate of Horizon Christian High School in San Diego, California, the 6'8" center averaged 9.8 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game as a senior for coach Zach Jones' squad and was named to the First Team All-Coastal League South. Prior to joining the University of Great Falls, he has attended and competed at Colorado Christian University and San Diego Christian College (2006-07). Christian plans to major in Health and Human Performance while attending the University of Great Falls.
“Christian Jeter is a big signing for our program,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “Christian had a great campus visit in April and we feel that he can make an immediate impact, especially at the defensive end of the floor and on the backboard, which were two major areas of concern for us this past season. We have the utmost confidence in Christian and the bottom line is we got better today by having signed him.”
“I am excited for the opportunity to attend and compete for the University of Great Falls," said Jeter. “With the glory of god, I feel privileged to sign my letter of intent. The coaching staff has shown tremendous confidence in me and you can be assured that I will be working tirelessly to get better so I can contribute to the overall success of the team.”
05/09/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 9, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of Nathan Bailey to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Bailey comes to the University of Great Falls from Rosalia High School in Rosalia, Washington where he averaged 12.0 points, 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds per game for coach Rob Hudkins’ squad as a senior in 2007. Nathan was a four-year letterman at Rosalia and in his junior year, he was named Second Team All-League. Nathan plans on pursuing a degree in Physical Education while at the University of Great Falls next fall.
“I chose the University of Great Falls because of the small school feel and the welcoming atmosphere along with the opportunity to play basketball,” said Bailey. “All of these combined made the University of Great Falls seem like a great fit for me.”
“We are very excited that Nathan has decided to come back to the game of basketball after a two-year hiatus in which he was a student at Eastern Washington University,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “Nathan will bring quickness and play-making ability to the Argo backcourt and we are eager to get him in the gym this coming fall.”
05/06/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 6, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of Jesse Adams to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Jesse Adams is a 5'9" guard from St. Anthony High School in St. Anthony, Idaho where he averaged 16.0 points and 5.0 assists per game as a senior this past season. The Idaho standout plans on majoring in Health and Human Performance while at the University of Great Falls next fall.
“I chose the University of Great Falls because I think it will give me a great opportunity to play college basketball and have a positive experience,” said Adams. “I believe that I will be challenged day in and day out and still have a fun time. The University of Great Falls is not too far away from my home and I think my experience with the basketball team will help me when I pursue my coaching career after my playing days are behind me.”
“We are very excited to add Jesse Adams to our basketball family,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “Jesse is a tough-minded individual who has a real knack for the game of basketball. He does many things well on the court to help his team be successful. He may be short on size but I would not dare question his heart and his passion for the game.”
04/30/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., April 30, 2009 —University of Great Falls men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby announced the signing of Dale Moore to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Dale Moore is a 6’9” center from Great Falls High School in Great Falls, Montana where he averaged 7.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots per game for the Bison this past season. He will be graduating from Great Falls High this spring. He is the son of Dale Sr. and Rina Moore of Great Falls and plans on majoring in History while attending the University of Great Falls next fall.
“We are very pleased to welcome Dale Moore to our Argonaut basketball family,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby. “Dale is an excellent addition to our current roster. He brings much needed size to our frontcourt. I am confident Dale can become a good player in the Frontier Conference with some work on his individual skill development.”
“I am excited about signing with the University of Great Falls,” said Moore. “I was really impressed by the enthusiastic atmosphere surrounding the athletics department. After meeting with the faculty and staff I knew this opportunity was a perfect fit for me and my family. I am looking forward to meeting my new teammates and getting back to work in the gym.”
03/27/2009
KANSAS CITY, Mo, March 27, 2009 — The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) recently announced their selections for the 2008-09 Daktranics-NAIA Men’s Basketball Scholar Athletes and the University of Great Falls is represented with by one athlete. Award winners must meet strict academic and athletic standards to qualify for this prestigious award.
Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) was named as one of 198 Scholar Athletes by the NAIA. He is a 6’1” guard who played in 30 contests this season while averaging 5.7 points per game and is majoring in Secondary Education at the University of Great Falls.
"This is a tremendous honor for Aaron and one that is well deserving. Aaron exemplifies what we look for in our student-athletes here at the University of Great Falls," said UGF men's basketball coach Steve Silsby. "He holds himself to high standards on the basketball court and in the classroom. I am very proud of Aaron for having this honor bestowed upon him."
03/05/2009
BILLINGS, MT – March 5, 2009 – Despite being down by four points at halftime, the University of Great Falls men’s hoop team could not find a way to defeat Rocky Mountain College and fell 83-70 during the first round of the Frontier Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament on Thursday night in Billings, Montana.
Rocky Mountain College led the University of Great Falls 37-34 after the first twenty minutes of action. Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR), playing in his final collegiate game, helped the Argos on offense by scoring 18 first half points.
The Bears scored six consecutive points to open up the second half and a quick 43-34 advantage and then led comfortably 72-54 with over 5:00 minutes left in regulation. Rocky pulled away in the final half as they only committed four turnovers and made 15 of their 20 foul shots while the Argos made 8 out of 11 free throws.
The Argos made more of their field goals (29-for-52) than the Bears did (28-for-62) and both teams shot 72% from the charity stripe. Each team pulled down 33 boards on the evening and combined for 25 turnovers. Rocky out-scored the Argos 46-36 in the second half.
Rayshaun Ames scored nearly half of the Argos points and finished his career with the Argos with 33 points including two three-pointers. Fellow seniors Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) and Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) combined for 15 points. Gregg also dished out 5 assist and had two steals on the night. Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) led the team with 9 boards.
Meanwhile, Devin Uskoski led the Bears with 17 points on 5-for-8 from the floor while James Bulluck and Nate Richardson added 15 points apiece and they both shot 5-for-12. Anthony Allen had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The University of Great Falls finished up their 2008-2009 season with a 2-12 conference record and a 8-23 overall record while the Rocky men 10-4 league play and have an overall record of 22-8 going into the semifinals on Saturday night as they host MSU-Northern at 7:00PM. MSU-Northern edged Lewis-Clark State in Havre, MT 66-59 on Thursday night to advance to the semifinals.
02/28/2009
BILLINGS, MT – February 28, 2009 – The Rocky Mountain College Bears downed the University of Great Falls 97-72 on Saturday night in Billings as both teams finished off the regular season.
Devin Uskoski scored in the paint off a missed shot by Nate Richardson to give the Bears an early 2-0 lead in the first minute of the Frontier Conference matchup. After Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) tied the contest for the University of Great Falls on the next possession, Great Falls went on a 7-2 run as Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) put back a missed shot by Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) to give Great Falls an 9-4 advantage four minutes into the contest. Great Falls would lead by as many as six points as Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) put back a miss by Rayshaun Ames to increase the Argos lead to 16-10. Great Falls continued to lead until DeAnthony Holmes added a pair of free throws with 7:23 left to tie the game at 25-25. Rocky then caused the Argos to turn over the ball on their next possession and took the lead for the second time on a Nate Richardson field goal. The University of Great Falls would reclaim the lead on Aaron Skogen’s (JR, Ronan, MT) three point field goal with 4:48 to go. James Bulluck would score eight points for Rocky including a last second jumper at the buzzer as Rocky took a 45-42 lead in a close first half.
Keithan Gregg provided a spark for the Argos in the first half as he scored nine of his 12 first half points from behind the arc. Rayshaun Ames added 10 points and 6 rebounds. James Bulluck and Devin Uskoski each scored 13 points in the half for Rocky Mountain College. Each team made 40% of the field goal attempts.
Both teams traded baskets to start the second half. Nate Richardson would increase the lead for the Bears to 11 (57-46) on a basket in the paint. The Bears would maintain their double-digit lead throughout the rest of the contest as each team would add 12 points apiece with 10:00 minutes left. Keithan Gregg’s jumper in the paint cut the deficit for the Argos to 73-58. Rocky’s offense finished off the game on a 24-14 run capped off by a field goal by Philip Barndt with 1:26 on the clock. Marko Lakic (JR, Novi Sad, Serbia) would add the final basket for Great Falls after he rebounded a miss by JayTee Tarpley (FR, Dubois, ID) with a minute to go.
Rocky Mountain College connected on 37 of their 77 shot attempts (48%) while the Argos went 25-for-66 (38%) in forty minutes of action. Rocky led in most of the major statistical categories including a 50-35 edge in rebounding and received 26 points from their bench to the Argos’ 19.
Rayshaun Ames finished off his final regular season game with 22 points and 9 boards for Great Falls. Fellow senior Keithan Gregg added 16 points on 6-for-7 from the floor.
Five Rocky student-athletes finished in double figures including James Bulluck with 18 points followed by Devin Uskoski’s double-double (17 points and 16 rebounds), while Nate Richardson, Chase Sukut and DeAnthony Holmes would combine for 43 points.
The UGF Argos will be participating in the 2009 Frontier Conference Basketball Tournament that is slated for Thursday, March 5, 2009. The Argo men’s basketball team will face Rocky Mountain College in Billings, MT at 7:00PM.
02/26/2009
HELENA, MT – February 26, 2009 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball teamfell behind early in the first half and could not stop the Carroll offense during the game as Carroll held on for an 80-66 victory over the Argos in Helena.
Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) scored on a pair of field goals before Andy Garland reeled off six straight points for Carroll including a three-pointer to give the Saints a 10-7 advantage with 16:23 left in the half. Garland scored 16 first half points while connecting on 60% of his shots from the field. Great Falls scored 27 points on 29% from the floor before the break. The Saints knocked down 53% (19-for-36) of their field goals while scoring 50 points. Carroll’s Chris Kaschmitter ended the half with a long two point basket for the Saints.
During the second half of action, the Argos offense got going as they went on a 32-18 run that included back-to-back three pointers by Levi Lopez and two stints where the Saints went scoreless in a three minute span. The University of Great Falls cut Carroll’s lead to nine points (70-61) but after that, the Argos were held to five points for the final 4:32 of the contest. Chris Kaschmitter scored the final eight points for the Saints team. The Argos played much better in the second half and outscored the Saints 39-30 while shooting 48% in the final half. Both teams combined for 27 turnovers.
Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR), the Frontier’s leading scorer, finished with 20 points and 6 boards despite picking up his fourth foul two minutes into the second half. He also connected on both of his three point attempts. Levi Lopez finished right behind Ames with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting. Matt Niemeyer finished the contest with 9 points and 10 boards for Great Falls.
Freshman Andy Garland helped lead the Saints to victory with 23 points and 12 rebounds. Chris Kaschmitter went 8-for-8 from the field and finished with 16 points and 2 blocks.
The Argos are now 2-11 in the conference and have an overall record of 8-21 while Carroll College goes to 9-4 in conference with an overall record of 19-5.
02/21/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – February 21, 2009 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team could not finish their weekend sweep at home as they fell to Montana Western on Saturday night 91-76 in Frontier Conference action. On Friday night, they defeated Montana Tech for the second time this season 70-61.
The Argos quickly found themselves down 11-4 to the Bulldogs during the first five minutes of the opening half. Great Falls got their offense going and scored seven straight points to tie the game at 11-11 as B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) scored five points during the Argos run. The Bulldogs answered back with a run of their own that ended with a pair of field goals from behind the arc by Cody Thueringer. The Argos cut their deficit to two points (23-25) as Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) added two of his 9 first half points at the 7:29 mark. The Bulldogs would not lead by more than seven points throughout the half. B.J. Meridyth jumper in the lane from a pass by Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) brought the Argos to within a point (36-37) with 2:21 on the clock. B.J. Meridyth would score his 13th point of the contest a minute later on a basket from long range to tie the game at 39-39. Terry Hauser ended the half with a shot at the buzzer to cap off a 5-0 run by the Bulldogs. Both teams connected on 46% of their field goal attempts. The Argos edged the Bulldogs 24-15 on the boards.
Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) started off the half with a three-pointer from the right corner off a dish from Keithan Gregg. After a turnover by Montana Western on the next possession, Great Falls tied the contest at 45-45 on a Keithan Gregg basket and then gave the Argos their first lead of the game on their next possession. Both teams would connect on their three point attempts over the next few minutes. The Bulldogs would score seven unanswered points to take a 61-55 advantage with under 14:00 minutes remaining. Cody Thueringer’s field goal from the right corner opened up the largest lead of the second half for Montana Western (72-56) at the midway point. Aaron Skogen would pull Great Falls to within 10 points with just over two minutes left but Montana Western would hang on for the win over the Argos.
The Bulldogs connected on over half of their three point attempts in the contest (57%) and outscored the Argos 47-37 in the second half. The Argos kept themselves in the game throughout the night by scoring 23 points off the bench.
Rayshaun Ames scored 20 points, pulled down 10 boards and went 2-for-2 from behind the arc in his final home game of his career for the University of Great Falls. Fellow senior Keithan Gregg added 11 points and dished out 6 assists.
Montana Western’s JaRon Brown led all scorers with 26 points on 10-for-14 from the field. Chad Myers scored 21 of his 23 total points from behind the arc and 8 boards.
The Argos are now 2-10 in the conference and have an overall record of 8-20 while Montana Western goes to 7-6 in conference with an overall record of 14-13.
02/20/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – February 20, 2009 – The University of Great Falls men’s hoop team earned a sweep over the Montana Tech Orediggers as they held on for a 70-61 victory on Friday night in the McLaughlin Center. The Argos defeated Montana Tech 64-56 back on January 24th in Butte, MT.
The Argos capitalized on their shots early on and forced four turnovers by the Oredigger offense as they led 13-2 in the first five minutes of the game. During this run, Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) scored nine points including a pair of three point field goals for Great Falls. Montana Tech would get back into the game with a 5-0 run as Josh Monagle and Tony Trudnowski each scored for the Orediggers. AJ Paine would cut the Tech deficit to 3 points (21-18) with seven minutes left in the half. A basket by Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) opened up a ten point lead (35-25) for the University of Great Falls before Montana Tech ended the half on a field goal by Stephen Thomas. Great Falls led 37-30 at the break. The Argos knocked down 50% (14-for-28) of their shot attempts while Montana Tech finished the first half at 37% (11-for-30).Great Falls’ Rayshaun Ames led both teams in scoring with 18 points while connecting on 66% of his field goals. Josh Monagle led Montana Tech with 11 points and 6 boards.
Both teams traded baskets for the first few minutes of the second half. Rayshaun Ames’ jumper from the left corner with 15:00 minutes to go gave Great Falls a 43-37 lead. Montana Tech would tie the contest at 45-45 three minutes later on a Tony Trudnowski three point field goal from the top of the key. Matt Neimeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) dunk from a pass by Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) gave the Argos some momentum with under 9:00 minutes remaining and stretched their lead to 52-45. Montana Tech’s Brian Davison added a field goal with 6:14 left cut the Oredigger deficit to 54-48. The Oredigger defense could not stop Rayshaun Ames as he scored his 27th point on a jump-shot from the left corner to increase the Argos lead to 61-52. The Argos sealed their win over Montana Tech on a pair of free throws by Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) with seven seconds remaining.
The Argos held a 40-39 advantage on the boards and both teams committed 22 turnovers. The Argo bench played a big part in the win with 26 points while giving up 14. The University of Great Falls went 23-for-50 (46%) from the floor while Montana Tech was held to 11-for-30 (33%).
Rayshaun Ames continued to lead the Argos in scoring with 28 points and 9 rebounds on 11-for-18 shooting. Keithan Gregg ended the night with 19 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and four steals.
Meanwhile, Josh Monagle and Tony Trudnowski teamed up for 34 points and 23 rebounds for Montana Tech.
The Argos are now 2-9 in the conference and have an overall record of 8-19 while Montana Tech goes to 1-11 in conference with an overall record of 8-18.
02/14/2009
HAVRE, MT – February 14, 2009 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team trailed 43-25 to MSU-Northern at halftime and fell 81-64 in a Frontier Conference men’s basketball game at the Armory in Havre, MT on Saturday night.
The Lights held the Argos to 25 points in the first half as the Lights never surrendered their lead. Chris Johnson and Travis Noble converted on five three-pointers throughout the night to lead the MSU-Northern offense. Both teams played evenly in the second half as Great Falls did outscore the Lights 39-38 in the second half.
MSU-Northern shot 54% from the field while the Argos knocked down 47% in the contest. The Lights held a 33-20 advantage on the boards but the Argo defense forced the Lights to commit 15 turnovers. The Lights scored 24 of their 81 points from the charity stripe while the University of Great Falls converted 12 of their 16 attempts.
Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) led the Argos with 17 points on 6-for-17 from the field while Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) added 11 points. Ames also pulled down 8 boards.
Meanwhile, Chris Johnson led the charge for the Lights with 25 points while Travis Noble went 7-for-9 for 21 points. Clay Greenland and Walynn Burgess each grabbed 7 boards for MSU-Northern.
The Argos are now 1-9 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-19 while MSU-Northern goes to 7-3 in conference with an overall record of 18-7.
02/07/2009
LEWISTON, ID – February 7, 2009 – The University of Great Falls could not take care of the basketball when they needed to and Lewis-Clark State responded with a 94-87 Frontier Conference victory over the Argos on Saturday night in Lewiston, Idaho.
The contest remained scoreless for nearly three minutes before Lewis-Clark’s Tanner McIntosh scored from a pass by Brian Duckworth but the Argos scored on the following possession as Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) stole the ball from Brian Duckworth at the 17:27 mark and then dished it off to Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) for the easy basket to tie the game at 2-2. The game would remain close over the next five minutes as both teams would trade baskets. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) gave the Argos an 11-8 lead on a trey from behind the arc with just over 12:00 minutes to go. The Argos would lead until the 6:42 mark when Drew Arnold connected on two of his nine first half points to give the Warrior men a 22-20 lead. The Warriors entered halftime with a 41-34 advantage. Both teams shot 50% from the field in the half. Great Falls held an 18-11 advantage on the boards but the Warriors defense forced the Argos to commit 11 turnovers while giving up only 8. Rayshaun Ames led the scoring for both teams with 14 points while Brian Duckworth led the Warriors with 10.
In the first three minutes of the second half, the Argos cut their seven point deficit at halftime to five (47-42) on a field goal in the paint by Rayshaun Ames off a pass by Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT). After both teams scored on their next possessions, B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) dished off to Matt Niemeyer to inch the Argos closer (49-46). Great Falls would take their first lead of the final half (52-51) as Keithan Gregg buried a three pointer at the 13:31 mark. After both teams led by a few points, Tanner McIntosh opened up the contest for the Warriors as his jump-shot with under 7:00 minutes remaining lifted Lewis-Clark State to a 72-62 lead. B.J. Meridyth would cut the lead to five (85-80) with 1:22 remaining before the Warriors ended the contest with a basket by Terrell Wallace in the final seconds.
Both teams scored 53 second half points while knocking down 54% of their shots in the contest. Great Falls contributed 13 more rebounds than Lewis-Clark State (38-25). The Argos edged the Warriors 13-2 in fast break points and 38-32 on shots in the paint.
Rayshaun Ames led five players in double figures with a game-high 20 points and 12 rebounds. B.J. Meridyth added 17, Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) 14, and Matt Niemeyer and Keithan Gregg ended their night with 10 points apiece. Gregg also dished out 11 assists and pulled down 7 rebounds.
Tanner McIntosh, Brian Duckworth, and Drew Arnold each scored 18 points apiece for the Warriors. Brian Duckworth’s six steals led both teams in that category.
The Argos are now 1-8 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-18 while Lewis-Clark State goes to 3-6 in conference with an overall record of 9-10.
02/05/2009
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – February 5, 2009 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team fell to #3 Westminster College 87-32 on Thursday night at the Behnken Field House in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The University of Great Falls started the game down 7-4 five minutes into the game as Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) scored four points in the first half. Weston Anderson’s three point field goal capped off an 8-0 run by Westminster with 12:20 left to increase the Griffin’s lead to 15-4. Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) added his first points of the game to cut the Westminster lead to 17-6. Westminster held Great Falls scoreless for over the next four minutes until Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) made a lay-up. After Westminster scored seven straight points, Rayshaun Ames made his second field goal of the game with under 2:00 left in the half. Westminster College would head into the locker room with a 41-10 advantage. The hot-shooting Griffins connected on 63% of their field goals while holding the Argos to 15%. The Griffins out-rebound the Argos 23-10 with Rayshaun Ames and Matt Niemeyer collecting 3 rebounds apiece.
Geoff Payne opened up the second half with a basket off an assist by Jeramie Hopson. Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) opened up the scoring for Great Falls in the half with a lay-up. Westminster shut down the Argos offense down and held them to 10 points in the first 10 minutes of action in the second half. Rayshaun Ames added his seventh point with a jumper in the paint to cut Westminster’s lead to 67-20. The nationally ranked Griffins finished the contest outscoring the Argos 20-12 in the final ten minutes of the game.
The Griffins held the Frontier Conference’s leading scorer, Rayshaun Ames, to seven total points on the night. The Griffins scored 27 of their 87 points from three point land. Both teams would connect on 60% from the charity stripe while Westminster out-rebounded the University of Great Falls 45-26.
Ames led the Argos with 7 points and 4 rebounds on 3-for-7 from the field. Matt Niemeyer and JayTee Tarpley (FR, Dubois, ID) each finished with six points.
Geoff Payne led the Griffins in scoring (16) and in rebounds (9) on 5-for-5 shooting. Conner Nielsen added 12 points for the nationally-ranked Griffins.
The Argos are now 1-7 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-17 while Westminster College goes to 7-1 in conference with an overall record of 21-2.
01/31/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 31, 2009 – The University of Great Falls men’s hoop team gave the Carroll College Saints all that they could handle on Saturday night in Great Falls but their comeback bid fell short in a 91-87 loss.
Great Falls native Josh Saunders and Andy Garland gave Carroll an early 4-0 lead on a pair of field goals. Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) knocked down two free throws and a three point trey in back-to-back possessions to give Great Falls a lead (5-4) two minutes into the Frontier Conference battle. Both teams kept the game within a few points as Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) tied the game 17-17 with 9:11 remaining in the first half. Neither team would lead by more than three points as both offenses went to work. A Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) pass to B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) cut the Argo deficit to 38-39 but Andy Garland had the last say in the half with a basket as time expired to give Carroll a 41-38 advantage going into the second half. The University of Great Falls shot 52% (13-for-25) in the first half. Andy Garland and Chris Medina scored over half of their points with a combined 23. B.J. Meridyth went 3-for-3 for 9 first half points in his seven minutes of court time.
Carroll picked up right where they left off to start the final half of action. Chris Medina and Josh Saunders gave Carroll six points on back-to-back three point attempts. Levi Lopez ended the Carroll run with a three point jumper from the corner. Ames and Meridyth added four points apiece during an 8-0 run that ended with a fadeaway jumper by Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) to come within a point (53-54) at the 12:26 mark. Both teams exchanged points on multiple possessions with Carroll leading by as many as five points (73-68) heading into the final six minutes of action in this tightly-contested game. The Argos would stay in the ballgame the rest of the way but would not lead. Levi Lopez connected on his 20th point and fourth three point field goal with less than ten seconds to play but the Argos fell in the end (91-87).
Carroll College scored 48 points from three point land as the Saints finished 52% shooting percentage. Carroll out-rebounded the Argos (38-22) and picked up 20 second chance points. The University of Great Falls forced the Saints to turn the ball over 19 times.
Three Argos carried the team with 20 or more points. Rayshaun Ames added 21 points with 11 of those coming from the charity stripe. Lopez and Meridyth would register 20 points apiece. Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) was the rebounding leader for the Argos with 7.
Andy Garland scored 27 points on 9-for-13 from the floor and knocked down 3 of his six shot attempts from long range. He also finished with 8 boards. Josh Saunders was able to finish the game with 18 markers.
The Argos are now 1-6 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-16 while Carroll College goes to 5-2 in Frontier and an overall record of 15-3.
01/30/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 30, 2009 – The University of Great Falls could not overcome the hot-shooting of Rocky Mountain College on Friday night at the McLaughlin Center and fell 97-75. Great Falls was looking for their second straight conference win of the season.
Rocky Mountain College opened up by scoring eight straight points over the Argos defense in the first 1:56 of the contest. Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) gave the Argos their first points of the game from a pass by Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) down the stretch. Devin Uskoski put the Bears up by nine points on a field goal from behind the arc with 13 minutes left. Both teams would capitalize on their next three possessions as Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) cut the Argo deficit to five points (20-15). The Bears would lead by as many as 11 points during the next 7:00 minutes of action. Chase Sukut would knock down of his two first half three point field goals in the game to increase the Bears lead to 39-26 with 3:18 on the clock. The Bears would cap off the half on an 18-4 run before Rayshaun Ames would score the final five points of the half including a shot from behind half-court to end the half. He finished the half with 11 points on 4-for-8 shooting. Rocky would finish the half by connecting on 59% of their attempted shots while Great Falls was 44%.
Devin Uskoski’s opened up the second half with a pair of field goals for the Bears after Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) pulled up over a Rocky defender for two points. Matt Niemeyer and Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) led Great Falls in the next few possessions on back-to-back baskets but Rocky kept knocking down the shots when they needed to as Dwayne Johnson and James Bulluck would add six points to the scoreboard on their next two possessions. The Argos tried to fight back but every time they made a run the Bears would also execute on the offensive end. Gregg and Ames scored the final 7 points of the game. Rocky and the University of Great Falls shot 50% from the floor for the contest. The Bears scored 42 of their 97 points while the Argos added 21 points from three point land. Rocky also had five more rebounds (38-33) than the Argos were able to pull down.
Rayshaun Ames continued to lead the Argos with 26 points including 15 points in the second half. In addition to Keithan Gregg’s 16 points, he also dished out 9 assists and 6 boards. Matt Niemeyer scored all 13 of his points on the night in the second half.
Meanwhile, Chase Sukut led four Bears in double figures with 21 points with 9 points coming from behind the arc. Devin Uskoski finished the night with a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Anthony Allen and Nate Richardson combined for 27 points.
The Argos are now 1-5 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-15 while Rocky Mountain goes to 4-2 in conference with an overall record of 15-6.
01/26/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT — January 26, 2009 — The University of Great Falls men’s basketball teams in conjunction with the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) and the American Cancer Society are inviting you to join the team for the 2009 Coaches vs. Cancer Suits and Sneakers Awareness Night at the January 30th basketball game against Rocky Mountain College at the UGF McLaughlin Center.
The NABC is encouraging coaches and their staff to wear sneakers with their suits at the games that are being held the weekend of January 30-31, 2009 to show support for the Coaches vs. Cancer program. The Suits and Sneakers program unites coaches from across the country in an effort to raise cancer awareness in their communities. Please leave your dress shoes in the closet and grab your sneakers for that weekend and help make a difference.
“For me, cancer touched my life when I lost one of my best friends, a former teammate of mine, who lost his battle with the disease at only 23 years of age. I’ll never forget what he meant to me as a friend and teammate,” said UGF men’s assistant basketball coach Mike Miranto. “Helping in the fight against cancer is important for me because my friend had his life’s dreams cut short and it’s my hope that someday we won’t have to worry about losing friends and loved ones to this disease, especially at such a young age. This experience has intensified my drive to fight cancer and as a coach, the best way for me to support the American Cancer Society is through the Coaches vs. Cancer program.”
The Coaches vs. Cancer strives to increase cancer awareness and promote healthy living among students, faculty and staff, fans and the community through year-round efforts, fundraising activities and advocacy programs to help the American Cancer Society save lives from cancer. Every year, basketball coaches around the nation spend numerous hours preparing their student-athletes for games but they also spend time in the fight involving cancer awareness in their local communities.
“Most everyone knows someone who has been inflicted or affected by cancer. I think the Coaches vs. Cancer program is a great way for our fraternity of coaches to spread the word about the fight against cancer and what can be done to keep ourselves and our children healthy and cancer free,” said UGF men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby.
Other activities that the Coaches vs. Cancer do to increase the level of awareness in communities include golf tournaments, a Coaches Walk where the local community and campus sponsor a walk for the American Cancer Society in an effort to save lives, and a Coaches Tip-Off breakfast which coaches host as a season opener. The breakfast boosts the enthusiasm of the upcoming season as the coaches share team predictions as well as recognizing the importance of team supporters and emphasizing the lifesaving mission of the American Cancer Society. Attendees include students and faculty, alumni, corporate sponsors and the community.
Please join the University of Great Falls in the fight against cancer!!!
01/24/2009
Butte, MT - January 24, 2009 - The University of Great Falls men's hoop team rallied in the second half to pick up their first conference victory of the season with a 64-56 victory on the road against Montana Tech on Saturday night.
Great Falls’ Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) and Cole Conway from Montana Tech each traded baskets for their respective teams to begin the contest. The Argos ran out to an 11-2 advantage as four different players scored before Montana Tech rallied from their nine point deficit to tie the contest at 11-11 on a pair of Tony Trudnowski free throws. Montana Tech outscored the University of Great Falls 17-11 to close out the first half. Both teams were about even on their field goal percentage as Great Falls shot 39% from the field while the Orediggers made 37% of their field goal attempts. Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) and Rayshaun Ames each scored five points at the break. Ames also had 8 of Great Falls 18 rebounds in the first half.
It took several minutes for both teams to score in the second half but Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) opened up the second half for the Argos with a field goal of his own. Dirk Anderson’s jumper helped the Orediggers jump out on a 9-2 run to increase their lead to 37-24. Montana Tech would go ahead by as many as 13 points (42-29) before the Argos offense would get going as B.J. Meridyth knocked down three point field goal to bring the Argos to within one (45-44). A few possessions later, Keithan Gregg tied the game at 48-48 and Aaron Skogen would give Great Falls the lead and boost that they needed and Great Falls led by as many as eight points in the last few minutes of the contest but never trailed after Skogen’s field goal ignited the team.
Great Falls connected on 12 of their 21 field goal attempts in the second half and they went 18-for-24 from the charity stripe in the game. The University of Great Falls sent Montana Tech to free throw line just eight times. Great Falls also out-rebounded the Orediggers 37-30 with Rayshaun Ames pulling down 15 for the Argos including 12 on the defensive side.
Keithan Gregg picked up the pace for Great Falls with 16 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) and Rayshaun Ames combined for 23 points on the night.
Stephen Thomas added 12 points and dished out 6 assists for Montana Tech. Dirk Anderson and Tony Trudnowski contributed 11 and 10 points, respectively. Three players finished the contest with four rebounds apiece.
The Argos are now 1-4 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-14 while Montana Tech slips to 1-5 in conference with an overall record of 8-12.
01/23/2009
DILLON, MT – January 23, 2009 – The University of Montana Western men’s basketball team outscored the University of Great Falls 46-40 in the second half to escape with a 97-86 victory in a Frontier Conference basketball contest from Straugh Gym in Dillon. This was the first road test of the conference season for the University of Great Falls after opening up with three home games.
Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) and Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) combined to score the first five points for the Argos before the Bulldogs would get on the scoreboard. Eric Lipkin tied up the contest 15-15 on a three point basket with 15:00 minutes left on the clock. Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) answered back for the Argos with a basket of his own to lift Great Falls to an 18-15 lead. Both teams would trade baskets and leads before Montana Western went on a 12-2 run and took a 35-22 advantage with 8:37 left in the first half. Great Falls came within three points (49-46) with 1:45 left on a field goal by Keithan Gregg. Chad Myers jump-shot closed out the half for both teams and gave the Bulldogs a 51-46 lead. Terry Hauser led the Bulldogs at the half with 11 points while Rayshaun Ames led the Argos with 17 on 6-for-10 shooting. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) went 3-for-3 from behind the arc as Great Falls shot 8-for-10 as a team from long range.
In the second half, Levi Lopez gave the Argos their first lead (52-51) since the beginning of the game as he connected on a long range jumpshot with 18:45 remaining. Montana Western wasted no time in regaining the lead as Chad Myers went down the floor for field goal on the following possession. Great Falls would cut their deficit to 60-57 and then tied the game at 64-64 on a Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) basket with under 12:00 minutes to go. Montana Western would lead by as many as 10 points (94-84) in the final half and Great Falls could not catch the Bulldogs. Rayshaun Ames scored the final basket for Great Falls as he poured in 32 points on 11-18 from the floor.
After shooting 80% from three point land in the first half, Great Falls shot 62% for the game. The Argos struggled from the charity stripe connecting on 17-for-31 on the night. Each team pulled down 36 rebounds and dished out 16 assists.
In addition to Ames’ 32 points, Levi Lopez had a fantastic night from the floor for the Argos as he added 20 points including 6-for-7 from behind the arc. Keithan Gregg knocked down 10 points and dished out 9 assists.
Montana Western’s Terry Hauser led four players in double figures with 19 while Garrett Fink and Layne Glaus each gave the Bulldogs 16 points and Chad Myers chipped in 14.
The Argos are now 0-4 in the conference and have an overall record of 6-14 while Montana Western improves to 2-3 in conference with an overall record of 9-10.
01/16/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 16, 2009 – The MSU-Northern men’s hoop team came away with a 100-82 win over the Argos in Great Falls on Friday night in front of a great crowd at the McLaughlin Center.
Clay Greenland scored four points as the Lights took a 8-2 lead early in the first six minutes of the contest. It took a little longer for the Argos offense to build momentum as the Lights defense held the University of Great Falls to two points in the first seven minutes. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) answered with back-to-back baskets from behind the arc to make it 24-12 midway through the first half. Great Falls native Shaun Tatarka sparked the Lights with five straight points before Levi Lopez would knock down another three point field goal to cut the deficit to 34-15. The Argos tried to fight their way back into the game but hot shooting by the Lights gave them a 44-21 advantage with 4:03 left on a field goal by Travis Noble. MSU-Northern went into the locker room with a double digit lead. MSU-Northern shot 64% from the field on 20-for-31 while the Argos closed out the half with 37% from the floor. Levi Lopez led the Argos with 14 while Shaun Tatarka put in 15 for the Lights.
Both teams traded baskets throughout the last half but MSU-Northern remained in control and never lost the momentum. Both team ended up with 48 second half points but the difference in the game was MSU-Northern’s hot and consistent shooting in the first half. Rayshaun Ames’ (SR, Little Rock, AR) field goal with 3:58 left cut the deficit to 13 but the Lights would run out the clock to improve their overall record to 14-5.
Both teams turned the ball over 16 times and MSU-Northern out-rebounded the Argos 32-18. Great Falls connected on 58% of their field goals as they increased their shooting percentage in the second half.
The Argos received 30 points and 9 rebounds from forward Rayshaun Ames on 12-for-17 shooting. Levi Lopez connected on five three point field goals and ended his night with 21 points. Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) had one of his best efforts of the season with a 5-for-5 performance from the field for 12 points.
Meanwhile, Chris Johnson and Travis Noble combined for 44 points with Noble knocking down 5-for-7 from behind the arc. Three Lights added five rebounds apiece.
The Argos are now 0-3 in the conference and have an overall record of 6-13 while MSU-Northern improves to 2-1 in conference with an overall record of 14-5.
01/10/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 10, 2009 – NAIA #5 Westminster College showed why they are a top 5 team as they downed the University of Great Falls 80-52 in this Frontier Conference match-up in Great Falls on Saturday night.
Westminster College held Great Falls to four points in the first nine minutes of the game as they went on a 19-4 run to open up the game as Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) and Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) each scored points for Great Falls. Jordan Jacobs and Nate Sanchez led the Griffins with 4 points apiece in that stretch. Niemeyer knocked down a jumper from long range for Great Falls to end the scoring run by the Griffins. Westminster would lead by as many as 15 points on two different occasions as Jake Harley connected on a 3 point field goal to increase their lead to 32-17 with under 2:00 remaining. Rayshaun Ames made two back-to-back field goals for the University of Great Falls on their final two possessions to close out the half to cut the deficit to 34-21. The senior from Little Rock, Arkansas led Great Falls with 8 points and 6 rebounds after twenty minutes of action.
The Griffins began the second half with two field goals by Jeramie Hopson before the Argos could get their offense going. Ames would make the next six points for Great Falls before Keithan Gregg’s (SR, Cut Bank, MT) three point trey from a pass by Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) pulled the Argos closer. Nate Sanchez’s jumper started the Griffins on a 12-5 run that took six minutes off of the clock and gave the nationally ranked team their second conference victory. Westminster connected on 54% of their shot attempts and out-rebounded the Argos 33-20. Great Falls shot 48% on the night and forced the Griffins to commit 16 turnovers.
Rayshaun Ames continued to lead the Argos on offense as he led both teams in scoring and rebounding ending the night with 24 points and 7 rebounds on 12-for-16 form the floor for the Argos. Matt Niemeyer finished the game with 8 points.
Nate Sanchez led three Griffins in double figures with 16 points on 8-for-10 shooting followed by Danny Stosich and Geoff Payne with 12 points apiece.
The Argos are now 0-2 in the conference and have an overall record of 6-12 while Westminster College improves to 2-0 in conference with an overall record of 16-1.
01/09/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 9, 2009 – The Argo men’s hoop team fell to the Warriors of Lewis-Clark State 75-72 in the Frontier Conference opener for both teams at the UGF McLaughlin Center on Friday night.
Lewis-Clark State led throughout the first half and took a 23-16 lead before the Argos rallied and took the lead away from the Warriors. Before the end of the half, Great Falls had a 31-28 advantage before Brian Duckworth’s three-pointer tied the game right before intermission. Six Argos scored in the first half of action as Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) and Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) each led Great Falls with 8 points apiece. Ames pulled down 7 rebounds on 3-for-7 from the field. The University of Great Falls had a slight edge in rebounding in the first half (20-16).
Both teams kept the contest very close in the final half as BJ Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) buried a long range jumper at the 9:32 mark to make the score 56-48 in favor of the Argos. After a timeout by the Warriors, Brian Duckworth connected on back-to-back three point field goals to cut the margin to two points. The game went back and forth for the next six minutes as Lewis-Clark led by five on a few occasions.
For the game, the Argos finished 25-for-58 from the field with 15 points being made at the charity stripe. The Argos forced 11 turnovers and finished the night with 41 rebounds to only 33 for LC State.
Rayshaun Ames scored 14 second half points for a total of 22 points and a team-high 19 boards including 13 on the defensive end. BJ Meridyth finished the contest with 12 and Aaron Skogen with 10.
Meanwhile, Brian Duckworth led his team with 24 points with half of his points coming from behind the arc. Three Warriors combined for 41 points including Curtis Allen (19), Drew Arnold (12), and Tanner McIntosh (10). Allen and Arnold also added 7 rebounds apiece.
The Argos are now 0-1 in the conference and have an overall record of 6-11 while Lewis Clark State improves to 1-0 in conference with an overall record of 7-4.
12/31/2008
BILLINGS, MT – December 31, 2008 – After having a one point lead at the half, the Argo men’s basketball team came up short in the end against the MSU-Billings Yellowjackets on Wednesday night at the Alterowitz Gym in Billings, MT. The Argos were hoping to win their third consecutive game but fell 74-58.
Great Falls opened the contest with a 7-3 lead behind baskets by Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ), Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) and Trevor Fehr (SO, Corvallis, MT). The Argos stretched their lead to 23-10 at the 10:48 mark as Levi Lopez connected on a trey from behind the arc to give the University of Great Falls their biggest lead of the first half. MSU-Billings would get back in the game toward the end of the half as a pair of free throws by Derrick Wright cut the Yellowjacket deficit to 34-32 with 38 seconds remaining but a dunk by Great Falls’ Marko Lakic (JR, Novi Sad, Serbia) and a three pointer at the buzzer by MSU-Billings’ Travis Bunker ended the half with the University of Great Falls leading 36-35. As a team, the Argos shot 61% (16-for-26) from the field while their defense limited MSU-Billings to 41% (12-for-29).
MSU-Billings and Great Falls opened the second half by trading multiple baskets with the Argos continuing to lead until the 9:19 mark when Travis Bunker connected on a long trey to give the Yellowjackets their first lead since opening up the game 3-0. The momentum carried the team from Billings to a 71-55 lead with under a minute left. Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) added a tip-in and Travis Bunker ended the game with his fourth three point field goal.
Rayshaun Ames ended the night for Great Falls with a double-double as he went for 14 points and 10 boards and connected on 6 of his 14 field goals. Matt Niemeyer ended his night with a 15 point effort along with 4 steals and a block.
Travis Bunker was one of three Yellowjacket student-athletes in double figures as he poured in 20 points along with 9 rebounds on 7-for-17 from the floor. Derrick Wright and Mario Burns combined 26 points and 13 rebounds. Burns and Bunker also registered 3 steals apiece.
The Argos ended their non-conference schedule with a 6-10 record on the season while MSU-Billings goes to 4-6.
12/30/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – December 30, 2008 – The University of Great Falls Argo men’s basketball now has a two-game winning streak as they easily defeated The King’s University College Eagles 90-28 on Tuesday night at the McLaughlin Center. On December 20th, the Argos defeated the Houghton College Highlanders in New York 75-65.
The University of Great Falls quickly built a 15-2 lead as Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) connected on one of his three first half three point field goals with 14:47 left. Gregg finished the first half with 15 points. Reid Fralick knocked down a three pointer for the Eagles to stop Great Falls’ momentum momentarily. The Argo defense stiffened and held the Eagles scoreless over the next eight minutes.The King’s University committed six of their 20 first half turnovers in the first four minutes and the Argos scored 44 points and held the Eagles to 10 points in the half. Great Falls completely stymied the Eagles offense and held them to just 3-for-20 from the floor while the Argos made 48% of their attempts.
Great Falls increased their lead in the second half to 61-17 with 15:05 left as Keithan Gregg dished it off to Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) for an easy basket. Two minutes later, Gregg would find Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) for one of his seven assists. Tom Donnelly (SO, Helena, MT) connected on a short jump shot with 3:34 remaining to ensure that all of the Argos that saw action scored for Great Falls. The Argos never trailed in this contest and would lead by as many 66 before the night was over. The Argo defense held the Eagles offense to just 23% from the field and 18 second half points. Great Falls forced the Eagles into 38 turnovers and picked up 20 steals.
Keithan Gregg led all scorers with 17 points, 7 assists and 4 steals. Rayshaun Ames scored 14 on 6-for-8 and led the team with 6 boards while Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT and Trevor Fehr (SO, Corvallis, MT) combined for 23 points on the night.
Meanwhile, Reid Fralick led the Eagles with 7 points and Ethan Wollman pulled down 7 rebounds.
The Argos improves their record to 6-9 on the season while The Kings University College goes to 4-12.
12/20/2008
HOUGHTON, NY – December 20, 2008 – The University of Great Falls Argos picked up a 75-65 win over the Houghton College Highlanders on Saturday afternoon in Houghton, New York as they finish their road trip through New York with a 1-1 record.
The Argos converted on 59% of their field goals in the first half including 73% from behind the arc to take a 45-41 halftime lead. Despite the lead, Great Falls allowed the Highlanders to shoot 49% from the floor. In the final half, Great Falls stepped up their defensive efforts and allowed Houghton to convert on only eight field goals and 24 second half points.
Keithan Gregg (JR, Cut Bank, MT) and Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) each poured in 18 points and 3 assists to help lead the Argos to their fifth victory of the season. Edwards went 9-for-13 from the field. Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) and Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) added 11 points. Ames had his second consecutive double-double as he also pulled down 16 rebounds.
Yannick Anzuluni led the Highlanders with 22 points and 7 boards. Jannai Beckford chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds for Houghton College.
The Argos improves their record to 5-9 on the season while the Houghton College falls to 3-7.
12/19/2008
AMHERST, NY – December 19, 2008 – The University of Great Falls men’s hoop team fell to #20 Daemen College 74-72 in the final seconds of their contest against the Wildcats on Friday night in New York.
In the first half, both teams played well on both ends of the floor as Keithan Gregg (JR, Cut Bank, MT) knocked down a shot from behind the arc to increase the Argos lead to 14-9 with 14:20 remaining. Great Falls led by as many as 9 points before taking a 37-27 lead going into the second half. The Argos made half of their field goals (15-30) in the first half while the Wildcats shot 37%. The Argos were 5-for-9 from long distance in the first twenty minutes of action. Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) scored 10 first half points while Keithan Gregg scored nine points.
Daemen College was down 60-43 with just under 10:00 minutes left in the contest but the Wildcats went on an offensive surge and outscored Great Falls 23-7 over the next 6:48 and cut the Argo lead to 67-66. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) knocked down a basket and two free throws to maintain the lead for the University of Great Falls but Daemen College’s Ryan Henry scored six straight points to tie the contest at 72-72 with one minute remaining. Daemen College got a block from Devon Dawson to give the Wildcats one last possession. Henry then missed a jumper with seven seconds remaining but Mike Maisto connected on a six foot jumper after getting the offensive rebound to ruin the Argos chances of an upset. Great Falls missed a 25-foot shot at the buzzer.
Rayshaun Ames ended the night for Great Falls with a 32 point and 14 rebound performance on 13-for-20 from the field. Levi Lopez and Keithan Gregg combined for 26 points. Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) added 2 blocks.
Ryan Henry led the Wildcats by scoring all of his 21 points in the second half. Daemen’s Mike Maisto and Pete Loney added 11 points apiece.
The Argos are now 4-9 on the season while Daemen College goes to 10-2.
12/10/2008
BILLINGS, MT — December 10, 2008 — The Frontier Conference has announced their weekly men’s basketball players of the week for the week of December 8th and one member of the University of Great Falls team was selected for this week’s honor.
Rayshaun Ames, a 6’5” senior forward from Little Rock, Arkansas, was the men’s player of the week. The Argos went 1-1 last week with a 71-62 win over the University of Lethbridge but fell to Montana State University (NCAA Division I) 66-78. In their win over Lethbridge on Saturday, Ames scored 18 points and pulled down 6 rebounds on 9-for-12 shooting. Ames continues to lead the Great Falls men by averaging 19.8 points and 7.9 assists per game. He is currently second in the conference in scoring and fourth in rebounding.
Carroll College’s Andy Garland, Geoff Payne of Westminster College and Stephen Thomas of Montana Tech were also nominated this week.
12/06/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – December 6, 2008 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team picked up their fourth victory of the season as they defeated the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 71-62 at the UGF McLaughlin Center on Saturday night.
Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) and Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) gave Great Falls an early 5-0 lead at the start of the contest. The Pronghorns would not give up as they trailed 15-7 at the 14:35 mark of the first. Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) connected from long range to give the Argos their biggest lead of the game at 23-8 midway through the first half. Danhue Lawrence added a three point field goal for Lethbridge to cut their deficit to 27-11 before Levi Lopez answered back for the Argos with his second three-pointer. The Pronghorns went on a 6-0 run before Trevor Fehr (SO, Corvallis, MT) connected on a long shot with 3:00 remaining in the half. Travoy Edwards got a nice feed from Levi Lopez for a dunk with 39 seconds to make the score 43-30 at the break. The Argos shot 56% from the floor and 63% from behind the arc.
The Argos would never trail in this game and they maintained a sizeable lead through most of the second half as the Argos increased their lead to 56-41 with 11:05 left on a pair of Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) baskets. Lethbridge’s Danhue Lawrence and Rob Cooper each scored a pair of field goals with 8:42 left in the contest to pull within 10 points but the Argos prevailed in the end 71-62.
Rayshaun Ames paced the Argos with 18 points on 9-for-12 from the field while Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) and Travoy Edwards combined for 27 points in the victory. Niemeyer led the team with 9 rebounds.
Danhue Lawrence finished the contest with 20 points while Sephton Spence chipped in 11 points and pulled down 9 boards for the Pronghorns.
The Argos improve their record to 4-8 on the season while the University of Lethbridge falls to 6-7.
12/01/2008
BOZEMAN, MT – December 1, 2008 – The Argo men’s basketball team kept up with Montana State throughout the first half before the Bobcats were able to pull away from Great Falls in the second half 78-66 in an exhibition contest at Worthington Arena In Bozeman, MT.
B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) scored the Argos first two points of the game as he stole the ball from a Montana State player and converted the layup to tie the contest at 2-2 at the 18:34 mark. The Argos kept the Cats in their sights for the next five minutes as a Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) trey from beyond the arc gave the Argos their first lead of the game (13-10) with less than 14:00 minutes left in the half. Great Falls would keep the lead until the 7:58 when Montana State’s Will Bynum knocked down a jumper to give the Cats the 27-26 advantage. Neither team would score in the next five minutes of action until Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) and Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) made baskets to give Great Falls a 30-27 lead. Danny Piepoli three pointer at the buzzer of the first half gave the Cats a slim 31-30 lead heading into the second half.
In the second half, Montana State and the University of Great Falls would battle on both ends of the floor as the Argos kept the deficit within eight points for the first seven minutes. Montana State would start to pull away with 10:00 minutes remaining as Branden Johnson added a three point field goal to increase the Cats lead to 55-44. Montana State went on a 9-0 run before the Argos would answer on the other end with a basket by Trevor Fehr (SO, Corvallis, MT). The Bobcats would never let their lead slip away the rest of the contest.
The Argos connected on 27 of their 60 shot attempts (45%) and had a better shooting percentage than Montana State did as they shot just 41% from the field. The Cats won the rebounding battle 41-36. Rayshaun Ames, the Argos leading scorer, poured in 16 points and pulled down 6 rebounds. Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) and BJ Meridyth combined for 25 points and 9 rebounds. Niemeyer was 3-for-5 from behind the arc against Montana State.
Divaldo Mbunga paced the Cats with 16 points on 7-for-10 shooting. Danny Piepoli and Branden Johnson each added 14 on the night.
Montana State University improves to 3-2 while Great Falls remains at 3-8 as this was an exhibition contest for them.
11/29/2008
LEWISTON, ID – November 29, 2008 – The Argo men’s basketball team could not overcome a big lead by The Evergreen State College Geoducks on Saturday night and fell 97-76 in the final night of the 2008 Cannon Building Materials Basketball Tournament.
Evergreen started out the game on a 28-6 run in the first seven minutes of action. The Argos could not get their offense going in the first half as they shot 34% from the field while committing 16 turnovers. The University of Great Falls never led in the first half and were down by as many as 30 with under 4:00 minutes left in the half. Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) scored 9 of his 20 points during the first twenty minutes of action as the Geoducks took a 51-34 halftime lead.
Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) helped the Argos cut the deficit to 59-46 at the 15:53 mark of the second half as Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) picked up one of his four assists. The Argos battled hard throughout and cut the deficit to 73-64 with 9:00 minutes remaining as Trevor Fehr (SO, Corvallis, MT) connected on his only three point attempt of the evening. John Levi III answered back with a field goal of his own to give the momentum back to the Geoducks. The Evergreen State would keep their lead in double digits for the rest of the night as they outscored the Argos 46-42 in the half. For the second straight night, the Argos did out-rebound their opponent 40-32.
Ames led the Argos with 20 points and 9 rebounds. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) and BJ Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) combined for 26 points and 7 rebounds. Nathan Menefee led the Geoduck charge as he poured in 31 points on 10-for-15 from the field. Nick Moore added 17 markers and led the team with 7 boards.
The Argos are now 3-8 on the season while The Evergreen State College improves to 3-1.
11/28/2008
LEWISTON, ID – November 28, 2008 – The Argo men’s basketball team started out with an early lead but Northwestern Oklahoma State was able to slip by Great Falls 94-69 in the first game of the 2008 Cannon Building Materials Basketball Tournament hosted by Lewis-Clark State on Friday night.
Great Falls led 9-8 before giving up the lead as Northwest Oklahoma State’s Brandon Brown’s trey from behind the arc gave the Rangers the lead for the first time. The Rangers would increase their lead to 15 (48-33) at the break. Northwest Oklahoma State forced 11 turnovers and collected five steals. Despite the turnovers, the Argos did out-rebound the Rangers 23-15. Great Falls connected on 10-for-28 from the field as Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) would pick up 11 points and 6 boards after 20 minutes of action.
The Rangers went on a 12-6 run to start the second half as Termaine Snyder’s field goal gave NW Oklahoma State a 63-39 advantage with 13:36 left in the contest. Great Falls tried to get back in the game but were outscored by their opponents 46-36 in the second half. The Argos did win thebattle of the boards 39-37 and they shot 79% from the charity stripe. Four Argos scored in double figures as Ames added six points in the final half and led the way with 16 followed by Matt Neimeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) with 12 points and seven rebounds while BJ Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) and Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) each added 10 points.
Brandon Brown paced the Rangers with 15 points and 5 boards on 6-for-14 shooting while Jason Rogers and Cutrell Currie added 13.
The Argos are now 3-7 on the season while Northwest Oklahoma State University improves to 4-4.
11/15/2008
DICKINSON, ND – November 15, 2008 – Dickinson State University defeated the Argo men’s basketball team 74-53 in the Dickinson State gym on Saturday night. Last week, when these two teams tangled at the McLaughlin Center, the Argos lost in the final seconds (64-63) to the Blue Hawks.
Dickinson State sparked an 11-0 run midway through the first half to build a 23-11 advantage before taking a 13 point lead into the break. The hot shooting continued for DSU as they opened up the second half with another run but the Argos responded with a 14-1 run of their own in a two minute span when Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) and Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) sparked the Argo offense. The Blue Hawks responded as Braden Thomas and Nathan Lebsock scored five points apiece for Dickinson and put them in control of the game 58-39 with 9:00 minutes remaining.
Dickinson State’s defense forced the Argos into 34 turnovers in the non-conference contest. Dickinson State led in all of the statistical categories including rebounding, assists, and steals.
Edwards and Ames led the Argos in scoring combining for 37 points. Edwards also added 7 boards and 4 steals for Great Falls. Joshua Walker ended his night with 21 points for the Blue Hawks.
The Argos are now 3-6 on the season while Dickinson State University improves to 3-3.
11/14/2008
MINOT, ND – November 14, 2008 – The University of Great Falls men’s hoop team came up short for the second time against Minot State 94-73 at the MSU Dome in Minot, ND on Saturday night.
The Beavers started out with a 9 point lead early in the first half and then Great Falls came back to tie the score at 14-14. Minot State took the reins from there as they went on a 21-4 run with 6:30 remaining in the half. Aaron Patterson’s three point field goal three minutes into the second half pushed the Beavers lead to 21 and the Argos could never get within striking distance the rest of the way.
“They (Minot State) jumped up early on us and we committed too many turnovers and we didn’t shoot well as a team,” said men’s basketball coach Steve Silsby.
Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AK) led Great Falls with 17 points and 8 rebounds. Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) and BJ Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) combined for 24 points. Levi Lopez (JR, Phoenix, AZ) and Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) had 3 steals apiece. Meanwhile, Minot State received 25 points on 7-for-11 shooting. Kenneth McCoy added a double-double with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
Great Falls shot 36% in the first half and finished the game shooting 21% from the field.
The Argos are now 3-5 on the season while Minot State University improves to 4-1.
11/8/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 8, 2008 – Dickinson State University edged the University of Great Falls 64-63 on last second shot in the final 1.6 seconds at the UGF McLaughlin Center on Saturday night.
Both teams kept the first half close as neither team led by more than five points. Dickinson State led for the first 12 minutes of the game before the Argos would grab a 23-20 lead on a three point field goal from Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) and they would maintain their lead until halftime. Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) scored 14 of his game high 23 points in the first half on 6-for-9 shooting. Both teams shot over 50% from the field in the half.
The Argos led in the second half until the final four minutes of the contest when Nathan Lebsock’s three pointer tied it at 55-55. On the next possession, Dickinson State would take their first lead of the half with a basket by Tomaul Hawkins. Rayshaun Ames’ free throws with 41.8 seconds remaining gave Great Falls a 63-61 advantage and the score would remain the same until Ryan Ernst connected on a three point basket from the left corner proved to be the game winner with 1.6 seconds left to snatch victory away from the Argonauts.
Great Falls shot 46% for the game while Dickinson State made 54% of their field goal attempts. Great Falls won the rebounding battle 31-22.
Matt Niemeyer and Rayshaun Ames combined for 35 points and 13 boards for Great Falls. Nathan Lebsock’s 21 points paced the Hawks while Fred Scheltinga pulled down 7 rebounds and had 2 blocks.
The Argos are now 3-4 on the season while Dickinson State University improves to 2-2.
11/7/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 7, 2008 – The Argo men’s basketball team came up short against the Minot State University Beavers 77-73 in a non-conference game for both teams at the McLaughlin Center.
Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) gave the Argos a 6-0 lead as he scored the first six points for Great Falls but the Beavers would take a 14-9 lead on a basket by Demetrius Malone just six minutes into the game. The Argos struggled with turnovers as they committed 16 in the half. Ames kept the Argos within 10 points (40-30) as he scored two of his 15 points with 39 seconds left in the half. Each team had 18 rebounds and both teams were connecting on 40% of their field goals.
Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) opened up the second half with two of his 11 total points for the night. Rayshaun Ames cut the Argo deficit to 45-41 at the 16:11 mark of the second half. The game got really exciting with three minutes remaining as the Argos reclaimed the lead 67-66. Minot State missed 3 of their 4 free throws with under two minutes to go but they were able to grab the lead back in the end to win the game 77-73 over the Argonauts. Great Falls connected on 55% of their shots but ended the contest with 32 turnovers.
The Argos had 3 players in double figures as Rayshaun Ames had 25 points, Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) added 12 and Matt Niemeyer 11. Ames also had 8 boards. Aaron Patterson and Kenneth McCoy paced Minot State with 15 and 14 points respectively.
The Argos are now 3-3 on the season while Dickinson State University goes to 3-0.
11/2/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 2, 2008 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team prevailed over Walla Walla University 107-63 on Sunday afternoon in Great Falls.
Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) helped the Argos build a 12-4 lead in the first half by scoring four points during that run. Walla Walla tried to make a run but they would get no closer than four points as a pair of three point field goals by Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT) made sure Great Falls maintained their lead with a 34-25 lead with just over six minutes left before halftime. Great Falls shot 73% from the field as their defense held Walla Walla offense to just 42% shooting as the Argos secured a 53-33 lead going into half-time.
The Argos maintained a double-digit lead and were never challenged throughout the second half. Levi Lopez’s (JR, Phoenix, AZ) shot from long range gave UGF a 97-54 lead with four minutes remaining as Great Falls defeated Walla Walla University easily.
B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) led Great Falls with 23 points on 4-for-5 shooting from three point land. Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) and Rayshaun Ames each pulled down 9 boards. Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) blocked two Walla Walla shot attempts.
Dustin Miracle's 18 points paced the Wolves.
The Argos are now 3-2 on the season while Walla Walla University goes to 0-2.
11/1/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 1, 2008 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team handed Walla Walla University a 92-70 setback at the McLaughlin Center on Saturday night during homecoming.
Walla Walla started the game with a 5-0 run in the first minute of the contest before Great Falls’ Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) scored six points of his own to give the Argos an 8-7 lead at the 16:14 mark of the first half. There were 8 lead changes throughout the first half as Great Falls led 39-37 after 20 minutes of action. Walla Walla out-shot the Argos 52% to 48% while both teams combined for 20 turnovers.
Great Falls led by as many as 8 points through the first five minutes of the second half. Matt Niemeyer’s (JR, Great Falls, MT) back-to-back baskets increased the lead to 61-47 with 12 minutes to play. Great Falls shot 65% from the field in the second half and 56% for the game. Each team committed 25 turnovers in a fast-paced game.
Rayshaun Ames paced Great Falls with 26 points and 7 boards on 10-for-16 shooting for coach Steve Silsby’s squad.
Jonny Long led the Wolves with 17 points and 5 rebounds.
10/31/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – October 31, 2008 – The University of Great Falls men’s basketball team was defeated by the South Dakota Tech Hardrockers 88-68 in a hard fought battle on Friday night at the McLaughlin Center.
South Dakota Tech jumped out to an 11-4 lead four minutes into the contest. A basket by Argo guard Keithan Gregg (SR, Cut Bank, MT) with 9:26 to go in the half cut the deficit to 19-15. The Argos committed 12 first half turnovers but they were able to keep pace with the Hardrockers in the first half as they only trailed 40-35 at halftime. B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) would score 17 of his 26 total points in the first twenty minutes of action. The Argos connected on 46% of their field goals.
In the second half, a pair of baskets by Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) and Brian Harrison (SR, Richland, WA) kept the Argos within 6 points early on in the half but AJ Trennepohl connected on a pair of baskets from behind the arc to keep South Dakota Tech in the lead 53-40 and they would lead throughout the rest of the contest as they found a way to win over Great Falls. Great Falls committed 9 turnovers in this half and they shot 45% from the field in the game compared to the Hardrockers’ 59%.
Rayshaun Ames and B.J. Meridyth combined for 45 points and 6 rebounds for the Argos. Meridyth connected on 8-for-12 from the field and 7-for-11 from the charity stripe. Matt Niemeyer (JR, Great Falls, MT) added 7 rebounds.
AJ Trennepohl led the Hardrockers with 25 points including 8-for-13 from the field and Brandon Smith pulled down 5 boards.
The Argos are now 1-2 on the season while South Dakota Tech goes to 1-0.
10/24/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – October 24, 2008 – The University of Great Fall men’s basketball team opened up their 2008 season with a 109-86 loss to the University of Regina Cougars at the McLaughlin Center on Friday night.
The Argos shot 49% from the field in the game while the University of Regina connected on 70% of their field goals. The Argos fell behind 17-2 and trailed throughout the first half but cut the deficit at halftime to 50-46. The Cougars opened up the game iaround the ten minute mark of the second half and increased their lead to as many as 22 while outscoring Great Falls 59-40 in the second half.
Rayshaun Ames (SR, Little Rock, AR) led the Argos with 23 points and 3 rebounds on 9-for-14 from the field. Aaron Skogen (JR, Ronan, MT), Travoy Edwards (SO, Las Vegas, NV) and B.J. Meridyth (SO, Odessa, TX) combined for 38 points.
The Cougars were led by Jeff Lukomski with 29 points and Kris Heshka added 22 points and pulled down 6 boards.
The Argos are now 0-1 on the season while University of Regina goes to 2-3. The Argos will be at home for an October 31st showdown with South Dakota Tech at 4:00PM in the McLaughlin Center.