HELENA — The No. 5-ranked Carroll College women's basketball team swept its annual Thanksgiving Classic with wins on Friday and Saturday against a pair of top-tier Cascade Collegiate Conference teams.
The Saints defeated No. 10 Lewis-Clark State 91-79 on Friday then got past Southern Oregon 60-56 on Saturday. Providence of the Frontier Conference also participated in the tourney, losing to both L-C State and SOU.
Carrol coach Rachelle Sayers is not afraid when it comes to scheduling, especially when she gets the chance to host a non-conference NAIA tournament at the PE Center.
Against L-C State, Carroll's Jamie Pickens had a career night with 31 points in 36 minutes on the floor. Maddie Geritz added 17 points and Addi Ekstrom added 11 points, many of them coming late in the game. Kyndall Keller added 12.
The Saints snuck past Southern Oregon on Saturday as Pickens had 14 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks shots. Willa Albrecht, a redshirt-junior transfer from the University of Montana, made it easy scoring with 22 points of her own and shooting 3 for 3 from the 3-point line.
Sayers and Carroll College will not back down next week as they head to Salt Lake City to take on Division I Utah in an exhibition game on Tuesday.
