By The No. 8-ranked Carroll College Women’s Basketball team held off a hot-shooting Montana Western team in an overtime instant classic at the PE Center, 77-73 on Saturday afternoon.
The Fighting Saints (19-4, 10-1) needed 45 minutes to get it done, but managed to pick up their tenth Frontier Conference win of the season with a four-point overtime victory over the Bulldogs.
Saturday’s game played out nearly the exact opposite of the previous two meetings between the two teams. The Bulldogs came out from the opening tip and controlled the game. Western was extremely efficient in the opening quarter, shooting 63 percent from the field, including eight points from Jordan Sweeney to hold a 21-14 lead after one.
Carroll leveled things out in the second frame, tightening the effort defensively to narrow the gap. Jamie Pickens (Helena, Mont. / GR) put together a quarter that rivals most individual total game stat lines, posting nine points and seven rebounds, but Western would hold a slim 33-32 lead at the half.
Third quarter was a high-scoring affair on each side. Both the Saints and Bulldogs scored 20 points, with Western still clinging to a one-point advantage heading into the final quarter. While Carroll had a better offensive quarter (50 percent FG %), Western seemingly hit every shot they saw (75 percent). WIlla Albrecht (Billings, Mont. / R-JR) had an impressive quarter, scoring eight points.
The fourth quarter was as tightly contested as possible, with the teams exchanging and tying the lead several times. With under two minutes remaining, Carroll held a four point lead, but Western would respond to tie things up at 65 apiece. Consecutive offensive fouls, one on Carroll, one on Western, gave each team a legitimate chance at winning in regulation, but neither capitalized and an extra frame was added.
A back-and-forth overtime period would finally break in Carroll’s favor, and a series of clutch free throws from Kyndall Keller (Havre, Mont. / SR) and Maddie Geritz (Boise, Idaho / GR) would put the game away, 77-73.
Jamie Pickens had one of the more impressive individual performances in program history in the win. The 2022-23 All-American finished her night with 31 points, and 19 rebounds, both of which were game-highs. Pickens’ 19 individual rebounds were more than the entire Bulldog team (16 total).
Willa Albrecht had an outstanding night as well, finishing with 12 points and eight rebounds, while Keller and Geritz added 13 and 14 points, respectively.
Jordan Sweeney led the Bulldogs with 22 points, while Joelnell Momberg added 17 in the loss.
The win marks No. 15 in a row for the Saints over the Bulldogs dating back to 2020.
All attention now turns towards a rematch with Providence on Thrusday night in Helena where Carroll will look to avenge their lone Frontier loss.
Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a preview of that game, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.
