Argonauts top Carroll 58-53 in NAIA semis

SIOUX CITY, Iowa — :Providence’s Ashlee Maldonado scored 22 points, and the Argonauts beat Carroll College 58-53 in a tight, all-Montana NAIA women’s basketball semifinal Monday.

Maldonado scored 10 of her points in the fourth quarter for the Argonauts (27-8), who advanced to their first national championship game, set for 6 p.m. Mountain Tuesday in the Tyson Events Center.

But it was Maddy Dixon who hit a jumper to put her team ahead for good with 3:21 left. That broke a 46-46 tie, and Monique Carter hit two big free throws for a 54-50 lead with 32 seconds remaining.

After that Carroll’s Jamie Pickens missed, and Providence’s Kolby Pimperton rebounded, was fouled and hit two more free throws with 25 seconds left.

Carroll surged back from a 27-19 halftime deficit to lead 37-36 going to the final quarter.

Providence went ahead 41-39 on a Dixon bucket; Carroll retook the lead 42-41 with a Kyndall Keller 3-pointer at the 5:48 mark.

Keanna Salavea’s three-point play with 4:39 left gave the Argos a 44-42 lead, but Maddie Geritz scored twice to forge ties at 44- and 46-all.

Dixon added 12 points and 12 rebounds for Providence. Pimperton had 11 points, Salave’a seven and Carter, six.

Keller led the Saints with 17 points, and Pickens and Geritz added 16 each. Pickens hauled down 16 rebounds. 

Carroll, which also lost to Providence 75-66 in the Frontier Conference tournament championship on March 2, ended up 28-6. Three of the Saints’ losses came to the Argos. 

In the other semifinal, Dordt, Iowa downed Cumberlands, Ky. 83-73.