(Editor’s Note: Carroll College Athletic Department media releases)
No. 7 Carroll College women 74, No. 18 Providence 69
HELENA — After a rocky first quarter, the No. 7 Carroll College Saints showed their resolve and scored 71 points over the next three quarters to take down No. 18 Providence 74-69 on Thursday night in the PE Center.
It was both team’s first Frontier Conference game.
“I was really proud of the kids,” Saints coach Rachelle Sayers said. “I thought their discipline to get the ball to Hannah, to execute things and to play good tempo was unbelievable.”
Senior forward Hannah Dean powered the Saints (5-2, 1-0 Frontier) on both sides of the floor. Dean scored 27 points and added 11 rebounds, five assists, three steals and a block. Perhaps most importantly, Dean held Providence’s nighty double-double player, Parker Esary, to a season low six points on 3-for-12 shooting. She entered the game averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds.
“They just really locked in,” Sayers said. “We turned them over. I can’t say enough about Hannah Dean. The glaring statistic was Parker Esary going 3-of-12. Hannah was unbelievable guarding her. I cannot say enough about what she did.”
Three other Saints joined Dean in double figures, led by Christine Denny and Jaidyn Lyman, who both scored 15 points. Denny and Lyman nearly had perfect nights, shooting 5-for-6 and 6-for-7 respectively.
While the Saints struggled early on, once the Saints found their rhythm in the second quarter, they outscored Providence (8-1, 0-1) in each of final three periods.
Emilee Maldonado shouldered the scoring load for Providence, scoring a team-high 24 points while playing a full 40 minutes. Reed Hazard and Molly Schmitz each had 10 as the next leading scorers.
“This is a team that’s 8-0 and has played quality opponents and scores a ton of points and we were able to hold them under 70,” Sayers said.
The Saints shot 50 percent from the field, 46 percent from the three-point line and 78 percent from the foul line.
Carroll hosts Northern on Saturday. The Skylights fell 65-52 to Rocky Mountain College on Thursday.
No. 22 Carroll College men 84, Providence 73
HELENA — The Argonaut’s physicality slowed the Saints in the first half, but a massive second half surge helped No. 22 Carroll College put away Providence 84-73 on Thursday night in the PE Center.
The Saints (10-0, 1-0 Frontier) trailed 44-32 at halftime, and early on in the second half trailed by as many as 18.
“What they were doing to us is pressuring us out of our offense,” Saints coach Kurt Paulson said. “About the last 10 minutes of that first half, we couldn’t get entries. We couldn’t penetrate. They were so physical and so athletic. We couldn’t get into our offense.”
The Argonauts were also on fire from beyond the arc in the first half, hitting 7-of-13 three pointers. That, too, changed in the second half.
The Saints found a way into their half-court sets in the second half, though a quick turnover and a pair of three-pointers looked like the Argonauts may put the Saints away early.
“We put in a high post entry and that changed everything,” Paulson said. “Match (Burnham) and Thomas Austefjord got post catches. The offense started there and we spaced four around Matt Wyman. We finally started to get some buckets because the pressure wasn’t there.”Dane Warp hit a three to loosen up the Argos’ defense, and the Saints finally had found their touch.
Shamrock Campbell and Burnham would combine for three more triples, and then Jovan Sljivancanin finished a nifty reverse layup and forced a Providence timeout as the Saints had suddenly cut the Providence lead to just four.About halfway through the second half, a Matt Wyman bucket tied the game, and then three possessions later the Saints had a lead after Wyman scored again.
The Saints kept the offense humming, eventually building a multiple possession lead to keep the Argonauts at bay.
Carroll’s defense, too, changed the course in the second half. The Saints allowed only 29 points, dropping the Argonauts shooting percentage down to 32 percent.
Three Saints scored at least 20 points in the victory. Wyman led all scorers with 25, hitting 11-of-18 shots, including 3-of-5 from beyond the arc.
“He’s worked hard at his three-point shot,” Paulson said. “He can post you. He can drive you. He can shoot threes. We’re very happy. I thought he kept us calm at halftime.”
Dane Warp added 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting and Burnham had a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds.
Providence played without its starting center Jaxon Hashley, who was nursing a foot injury. The freshman is averaging a double-double as the Argonauts’ main post presence.
The Saints host Montana State-Northern on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. The Lights fell 78-74 to No. 14 Rocky Mountain College on Thursday.
