(Editor’s note: Argos Media Release)
GREAT FALLS – The No. 13 Argos (12-4) outscored the No. 4 Montana Western Bulldogs 22-5 during the final 10 minutes of play to seal their upset and hand Montana Western (12-1) their first loss of the 2018-19 season.
Emilee Maldonado was huge for the Argos as she led all scorers with 23 points, while producing a dominant defensive performance as she held the Frontier Conference’s leading scorer, Brianna King, under her season average with 20 points. She also tallied four boards, three assists, and a steal. Parker Esary held down the post, knocking down 17 points while also pulling down 13 rebounds.
Brianna King led the Bulldogs offensively with 20 points, in addition to grabbing two rebounds, dishing out an assist, and blocking a shot.
Montana Western would take the opening lead until a Maldonado three tied things up at seven. The Bulldogs would retake the lead and maintain it with a minute left, 14-13. A layup from Kenedy Cartwright and a free throw with less than 10 seconds remaining flipped the advantage into the Argos favor to close out the opening period, 16-14.
Esary would knock down a layup to put the Argos up by four at the start of the second period, 18-14, but the Bulldogs would score four of their own to tie things up, 18-18. The Argos outscored the Bulldogs 7-4 over the final eight minutes of the period to head into the locker room with the three-point advantage, 25-22.
The second half began with a 5-2 Argos run to push the lead to six, 30-24, but the Bulldogs responded with a 8-2 run of their own to knot things at 32. The game would even up at 34 and 36, but the Bulldogs would then score nine unanswered points to take their largest lead of the game, 45-36, until a Cartwright three with a minute to go would bring the Argos back within three headed into the final 10 minutes, 45-39.
The Bulldogs would tack on another three to open the fourth, however the Argos were not going down easy as they would whittle away at Montana Western’s nine-point lead and eventually tie the game up at 50 all. A Cartwright layup would give the Argos the final lead change of the match, 52-50. During the final five minutes of play, the Argos would tally nine unanswered to seal the upset, 61-50.
Up Next, the Argos will take on the MSU-Northern Skylights in a midweek matchup on Tuesday, January 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the McLaughlin Center.
