The Carroll College and Montana Western women's basketball teams advanced to the Frontier Conference championship by blowing away each of their semifinal opponents by 20 points or more on Saturday.
Montana Western 81, Providence 61
GREAT FALLS -- It didn’t matter that they were the lower seed and on the road, the Montana Western Bulldogs poured it on against the University of Providence Argos to win 81-61 and advance to the Frontier Conference women's basketball championship.
The Argos kept things close through the first quarter but sputtered through the second, scoring just eight points to the Bulldogs' 21, to fall behind 42-23 at the half.
The Argos were unable to keep control of the ball, turning it over 18 times, which turned into 18 of the Bulldogs’ points.
Brinley Fitzgerald led the Bulldogs with a game-high 22 points and six rebounds, while Emilee Maldonado led the Argos with 14 points.
The Montana Western Bulldogs will advance to take on the Carroll College Fighting Saints in the Frontier Conference championship on Monday.
Carroll College 74, MSU-Northern 49
HELENA -- Despite it being a four-point game after the first quarter, the Carroll College Fighting Saints women knocked off the Montana State-Northern Skylights, 76-49, to advance to the Frontier Conference championship.
The Skylights battled back to a one-point deficit at 17-16 with nine minutes left in the first half, but the Northern offense went dormant for the remainder of the half. The Fighting Saints jumped out to a 23-4 run to finish the quarter and take a 40-20 lead into the half.
The Fighting Saints shot a remarkably efficient 52% from the floor and an even better mark of 58% from 3-point range in the contest. Dani Wagner led Carroll with a game-high 20 points and two assists. Peyton Kehr was the only Skylights player to reach double digits on the night with 16 points.
The Skylights will finish the year at 7-14.
The Fighting Saints will host the Montana Western Bulldogs in the Frontier Conference’s final matchup of the year on Monday.
