In a thrilling conference battle Saturday night, Montana Western edged Montana State University-Northern
83–79 in a back-and-forth men's basketball game that came down to the final minutes.
The first half was a physical, tight contest from the opening tip. Montana Western struck first behind an early three from
Kyle Gruhler and controlled much of the opening minutes with balanced scoring. The Lights fought back, with
Raefe McEnroe providing consistent offense and
Austin Ramos doing damage on the boards as the Skylights stayed within striking distance.
Both teams exchanged leads and key baskets throughout the first half. Western's talent and depth allowed them to remain narrowly in front, but Northern's effort on both ends of the floor kept the game close at the break.
Montana Western continued its offensive pressure in the second half, with
Gruhler and
Emanuel Steward leading the way. Gruhler's scoring touch stretched the lead at times, but Northern kept answering with timely buckets from McEnroe and
Luke Holecek, forcing Western to fight for every point.
Northern's made multiple runs to pull within a possession, but Western's balanced attack — including contributions from
David Young and
Kolter Merritt — helped keep the Bulldogs just ahead.
Montana State University-Northern
- Austin Ramos: Strong all-around game with 18 points and 13 rebounds.
- Raefe McEnroe: Produced 17 points in a hard-fought effort.
- Luke Holecek: Added 13 points to keep Northern in contention.
Montana Western
- Kyle Gruhler: Led all scorers in a big night, delivering a 33-point performance with multiple three-pointers.
- Emanuel Steward: Big game with 22 points, anchoring the offense throughout.
- David Young: Provided scoring and energy off the bench.
The Lights fall to 16-12 overall and 11-11 in Conference. They will play next weekend in the Frontier Conference Tournament. More information can be found on golightsgo.com or MSU-Northern Athletics social media.
