BUTTE -- The Providence men's and women's basketball teams combined for a Frontier Conference sweep of Montana Tech on Thursday.
The Argo women used a balanced offensive attack en route to a 74-71 win. Four players reached double figures, as UP made 26 of 55 field goals in the game and 10 of 25 3-point attempts. Bailey Cartwright had a team-high 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while guards Kenedy Cartwright (16 points), Jenna Randich (16) and Emilee Maldonado (15) also hit double digits.
Kenedy Cartwright, Randich and Maldonado combined to make nine of their 18 3-point attempts. Maldonado added four assists and Bailey Cartwright had nine rebounds for Providence (11-6 overall, 2-3 Frontier Conference).
Kaylee Zard had a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds for Montana Tech (11-6, 1-4), which also got 22 points from Mesa Williams.
The game was close most of the way, with Providence holding a one-point lead at the end of the first quarter and a five-point advantage at halftime. The Argos were able to extend the lead to 13 points in the third, but Tech battled back to get within one multiple times.
The men's game followed a similar script with UP ultimately securing a 76-71 win. Argos Zaccheus Darko-Kelly and Jaxen Hashley each had double-doubles in the win, with Darko-Kelly scoring a team-high 18 poins and grabbing 12 rebounds and Hashley providing 17 points and 12 boards. Brandon Cotton (17 points) and Dawson Fowler (11) also reached double figures for eighth-ranked Providence (16-1 overall, 4-1 Frontier Conference).
Taylor England paced Montana Tech (10-6, 2-3) with 21 points on 10-of-14 shooting, and Sindou Diallo added 20, making 12 of 14 free throw attempts.
Providence led by three points -- 39-36 -- at halftime and grew the lead to as many as nine in the second half, but Tech continued to respond to keep the game close into the final minutes. While both teams were solid on 2-point field goal attempts, both struggled from 3-point range. Providence made just 3 of 20 attempts from beyond the arc, while Tech made just 2 of 21.
The Argos held a 47-34 edge in rebounding.
Providence next plays a doubleheader at Lewis-Clark State on Saturday. Tech, meanwhile, stays home for a doubleheader against Montana State-Northern, also scheduled for Saturday.
