News

The Thunder Men’s Basketball squad hit the road this past weekend for their final preseason games of 2015-16, making 3 stops and playing 4 games in Montana. First up, the Thunder would stop in Great Falls to take on the UGF Argos.  It was a tough day for the Thunder against relentless full court pressure from the home side as the Thunder would fall 100-55.  Leading the way for the Thunder was Jason Jones Jr. with 14 points and 3 assists.  Artez Scharer would add 12 points, Brett Jakubec 8 and Mike Malin 7.
The Thunder would continue down the I-15 to Butte for two games against the Montana Tech Orediggers.  Friday night's contest started well for the Thunder, taking leads deep into the first half. However, turnovers and foul trouble would be their undoing as the Orediggers pulled away and finished off the Thunder 91-70.  Jason Jones Jr. had another great night for the Thunder tallying 27 points on 10/14 shooting from the floor.  Artez Scharer was solid, adding 16 as the potent Thunder backcourt totaled 43 points on the night.  Brett Carey also made a well-rounded contribution with 10 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists for the Thunder.
The second outing against the Orediggers would play out much the same as the first with the Thunder hanging in with small leads early but unable to hold off Montana Tech, dropping a 93-72 decision.  Once again Jason Jones Jr. was huge for the Thunder, scoring 30 points.  Artez Scharer added 19 points along with 6 rebounds and 3 assists as the Thunder backcourt bested its effort from the previous night registering 49 points in this one.  Adam Johnson had the best night of his young Thunder career scoring 9 points and adding a game high 15 rebounds.
The fourth and final stop on the trip for the Thunder would be at Carroll College where the Thunder’s “road legs” caught up with them and they dropped a 116-49 decision to the Saints.  Jason Jones Jr. led the Thunder again with 16 points with Mike Malin adding 9. “I always enjoy these trips,” stated Coach Reagan Wood.  “They are a great opportunity for us to be challenged and have to work for everything we get.  The trips also serve as great team bonding time for the guys and for me as a coach to get to know all the guys better.  We’re always a little shorthanded with the roster on these trips which allows other guys to step up, play more minutes and prove themselves in a challenging atmosphere.  All things considered, a great weekend for us that will serve us well heading into the regular season.”
The season opener for the Thunder will take place this coming Saturday at home against the GPRC Wolves at 8pm.  Come out and see the 2015-16 edition of the Thunder begin their journey to the ACAC Championships!