Garland shines in men's basketball exhibition

October 24, 2009

By JEFF WINDMUELLER Independent Record

Growing up in Missoula, Andy Garland had plenty of opportunities to watch the University of Montana basketball team.

Friday night, the sophomore post and returning starter for Carroll College got the opportunity to beat a few of those guys that graced the floor at Dahlberg Arena.

The Saints easily rolled over the Montana Blue Angels, a rag-tag group of former collegiate basketball players from around the state, 107-83 in an exhibition game at the Carroll P.E. Center.

"I remember guys like (Brett) Cummings and (Travis) Greenwalt," Garland said. "It's kind of weird. Growing up, I never thought I'd play with them."

For Cummings, who hung around Missoula and graduated from UM in 2003, the feeling was mutual.

"I remember saying (Garland) might have watched some of us play," he said. "I used to go to high school games and catch the Sentinel-Hellgate matchup.

"Garland, he's a great player and he owned us tonight."

Garland, an NAIA honorable mention All-American selection who is one of just three returning Saints that saw game action last season, picked up a double-double by the half and finished with 32 points and 16 rebounds.

"For the first time out, we played well and played hard," Garland said.

The game was a preview for the incredibly young Saints - whose lone senior Chris Medina had 11 points and six rebounds - before their season opener on Oct. 30 against Dickinson (N.D.) State in Dillon.

Carroll's starting five of Garland, Medina, junior Sam Cartmell, sophomore Chase Godecke and freshman Casey Rogers looked sharp and built an 8-2 lead thanks to 3-pointers by Medina and Cartmell within the first two minutes.

But some errant passes, a few shots that rung off the hoop and the usual rusty play allowed the Blue Angels to stick with the Saints, thanks mostly to University of Montana Western graduate Matt Ludtke.

Ludtke launched 16 3-pointers, making six of them, and put down two one-handed dunks - one over the head of Rogers - for 27 total points.

After Ryan Pederson drained a 3 with 8:35 left in the first half, the Blue Angels had pulled within two, 28-26.

Brandon Veltri, at the helm for the first time as Carroll's new head coach, subbed out backups and the starting five began to pull away again.

"For the first time playing against somebody new, our first five are getting it there," Veltri said.

He felt his first three or so subs were pretty interchangeable, but with such a young team there was some obvious work needed to be done.

"With youth, nobody has a role yet and everyone's competing hard for a spot," Veltri said. "I think our strength is even if we might not have the most athletic group, these kids really understand how to play the game."

Rogers and redshirt freshman James MacIntyre had the best performance of the youngsters with 10 points apice.

Blue Angels (83)

Aaron Rich 5-10 1-2 11, Jake Stuart 1-8 1-2 4, Brett Wilson 1-3 1-2 3, J.R. Camel 3-8 2-2 8, Travis Greenwalt 3-7 2-2 8, Jeff Riggs 4-7 5-6 13, Matt Ludtke 9-21 3-4 27, Brett Cummings 2-4 0-0 6, Ryan Pederson 1-2 0-0 3.

Carroll (107)

Andy Garland 12-18 6-6 32, Sam Cartmell 5-8 0-0 13, Casey Rogers 4-11 2-2 10, Chase Godecke 4-9 1-2 9, Chris Medina 4-11 2-2 11, Jordan Reyes 1-2 2-2 5, Gerad Moser 1-3 0-0 2, Ben Cutler 2-6 0-0 6, Daniel Pearson 2-4 0-0 6, Jim Mee 1-4 0-0 3, Brett Hornung 0-3 0-0 0, James MacIntyre 5-7 0-0 10.

Blue Angels 42 41- _83

Carroll 52 55- _107

3-pointers - Blue Angels 10-33 (Rich 0-2, Stuart 1-7, Camel 0-1, Greenwalt 0-2, Ludtke 6-16, Cummings 2-4, Pederson 1-1). Carroll 14-33 (Garland 2-4, Cartmell 3-5, Rogers 0-4, Medina 3-7, Reyes 1-1, Moser 0-1, Cutler 2-4, Pearson 2-4, Mee 1-3). Fouled out - none. Rebounds - Blue Angels 31 (Rich 6, Greenwalt 6). Carroll 49 (Garland 16). Assists - Blue Angels 10 (Camel 4). Carroll 21 (Rogers 6). Total fouls - Blue Angels 14, Carroll 17. Technicals - none. A-785.

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