BILLINGS – The upset was there.
No. 8-seeded University of Providence nearly knocked off top-seeded Campbellsville, Ky., Thursday afternoon in an opening-round game of the NAIA Women’s Basketball National Championship.
The Tigers needed overtime to slip past Providence 89-84 inside Rimrock Auto Arena at MetraPark. They led 24-20 after one and only by five at halftime. Providence then took a 49-45 lead in the third quarter, before the Tigers responded with a run to pull in front.
Providence outscored Campbellsville 20-16 in the fourth quarter and forced overtime when Maldonado sank two free throws with 4.7 seconds left. A Tigers five-foot runner at the end of regulation was off the mark.
Ultimately, nobody could find an answer for Campbellsville forward Jordan Doram who accounted for nearly half of her team’s points. Doram finished with 40 on 14-of-18 shooting, including 11 for 12 from the free throw line. She also shared a team-high five rebounds.
Emilee Maldonado led the Argos with 23 points. Parker Esary finished with 17. Tristan Murphy scored 13 points and led Providence with 10 rebounds.
Campbellsville will play Talladega College in the Round of 16 on Friday at 6:15 p.m.
