(Editor’s note: University of Providence athletics release)
DILLON — Jalen Shepard nails an overtime buzzer-beater to lift the No. 22 Argos to a road victory over the Montana Western Bulldogs on Saturday evening, 93-90.
Shepard scored a team-high 25 points, while also filling the boxscore with six boards, four assists, three steals, and two blocked shots. Jaxen Hashley also filled up the stat sheet with 20 points, while also tallying a team-high eight boards, three assists, two swatted balls, and two steals. Brandon Cotton and Jacob Wetzel were the other Argos in double-digits with 15 points apiece.
Cedric Boone scored a game-high 31 points for the Bulldogs, while teammate Kooper Kidgell netted 20 points. Troy Scott led Western defensively with a double-double collecting 11 boards and netting 10 points.
The Bulldogs scored six unanswered to take the opening lead, 6-0. Western remained in the lead through the first seven minutes of the opening half until a layup from D’shea Williams tied things up at 20. The Bulldogs would net two field goals, while the Argos only netted a three to retake the lead, 24-23. Cotton connected on a layup to put the Argos back up by one, 25-24. The two squads would trade scores until a Western three would give the Bulldogs the lead back with less than three minutes until half, 40-39. Two layups from Hashley and a Western free throw would give the Argos a two-point advantage at the break, 43-41.
The Bulldogs would knot the game up at 43 coming out of the locker room. Starr and Cotton nailed jumpers to put the Argos up, but Western would respond to tie things up at 45 and 47. The Argos would go on a 9-1 run to take an eight-point lead with 15 minutes to go. Over the next five minutes of clock, the Argos maintained the advantage until back-to-back field goals from Western tied up the game another time at 67. Another free throw gave Montana the lead, 68-67, but a 9-0 run for the Argos put Providence back in front with six minutes to go, 76-68. The Argos maintained a seven-point advantage at the 3:40-minute mark, but Western kept the Argos silent for the final two minutes as they scored seven unanswered, including a layup with three seconds on the clock, to send the game into overtime, 82-82.
The Argos opened overtime with a basket from Shepard to lead by two, but a response from Western tied things up at 84. The Argos led by four with a minute and 30 seconds to go, 90-86, however Western connected on two field goals to tie things up one more time at 90 with five seconds to go. Following the inbound, Shepard dribbled down the court and set up at the top of the key to nail a three at the buzzer to give the Argos the win, 93-90.
Up Next
The Argos return to the McLaughlin Center on Thursday as they host the MSU-Northern Lights at 7:30 p.m.
