Providence, Carroll advance to semifinal
SIOUX CITY, Iowa — it will be an all-Frontier Conference semifinal at the NAIA national women’s tournament Monday, after both Providence and Carroll College won their Saturday games at Tyson Events Center.
Over in Kansas City, Mo., the College of Idaho, which has four Montanans on its roster, advanced to the men’s semifinals with a 73-53 win over Morningside, Iowa, on Saturday.
Providence (26-8) led from wire to wire and knocked off No. 1 seed Marian, Ind. 78-68 in one quarterfinal; Carroll (28-7) rode 24 points and 18 rebounds from Jamie Pickens to a 71-56 victory over (South) Dakota State.
It’s the first semifinal appearance for the Argonauts and Saints, who will face the Carroll Saints at 5 p.m. Mountain time on Monday. It will be their fifth meeting this season; they split the first four, with the Argonauts winning the Frontier Conference championship.
The championship is Tuesday at 6 p.m., and will show on ESPN+.
Carroll 71, Dakota St. 56
Pickens started the Saints off with a jumper, and while the Trojans (28-7) had a 13-0 run late in the second quarter to cut Carroll’s lead to two, they never led.
Up 34-32 at halftime, the Saints pulled way again in the third quarter, going up 49-38 on a Pickens’ jumper at the 1:33 mark. A Kyndall Keller basket with 3:58 left int eh game boosted Carroll’s lead to 63-48.
Maddie Geritz added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Saints, and starters Willa Albrecth, Keller and Addi Estrom all hit two 3-pointers while Carroll went 7 of 12 from the arc.
Angelea Slattery led the Trojans with 16 points, but 0 of 6 from the arc. Dakota State was just 5 of 26 on 3-pointers.
Providence 78, Marian, Ind. 68
Ashleey Maldonado scored 28 points and Keanna Salave’a had 17 point and 10 rebounds as the Argonauts stopped Marian’s 31-game winning streak.
Maddy Dixon hit a three to open the game, and the Argos never trailed — Kolby Pimperton’s jumper at 4:41 of the third quarter put them ahead 55-37.
Dixon also finished with 17 points, including a 2-for-4 performance from the arc. Maldonado was 10 of 13 from the floor, hit her only three attempt and was 7 of 7 at the line..
The Knights’ Alla Collier scored a game-high 30 points, and was 12 of 13 from the field.
College of Idaho 73, Morningside 56
In Kansas City, Mo., Samaje Morgan scored 24 points to lead the Yotes (32-3), who pulled away from a 30-27 lead.
Morgan hit two free throws, then a hoop through a foul as C of I went up 44-33 at 15;32 of the second half;
The Mustangs (32-3) got as close as 48-42 on Brendan Buckley’s free throw with 11:41 left, but the Yotes pulled away. Morgan had 14 of his points after intermission, and Tyler Robinett had all of his 10 points — going 3-for-3 from the field with two 3-pointers and 2-for-2 at the line — in the final 20 minutes.
John Radrord added 12 points and 12 rebounds for College of Idaho.
Starting guard Drew Wyman (Great Falls) had two points, two blocks and two steals for the Yotes. Alex Germer (Missoula Sentinel) had two points and Dougie Peoples (Butte Central) had six off the bench. Caden Handran (Scobey) didn’t score in 17 minutes.
The Yotes will play Langston, Okla. at 6 p.m. on Monday. The championship is at 6 p.m. Tuesday.