HELENA, Mont. – The 25th-ranked Carroll College women's basketball team is on a four-game winning streak but the competition ramps up this week with the return of Frontier Conference action. The Saints open the home weekend Friday against the 13th-ranked University of Great Falls before hosting No. 11MSU-Northern Saturday.
 
"We are very excited for this weekend, it doesn't get much better than what we have happening at the PE Center this Friday and Saturday," head coach Rachelle Sayers said. "We have two, top-15 match-ups. I am excited for our players to get back into conference play. I think we are ready."
 
The Saints opened Frontier play in early December and went 1-1 with a win against Rocky Mountain before falling to Montana Western 65-64 on a last-second shot. Carroll then closed out non-conference play with four wins to move to 11-3 on the year.
 
"We have worked hard on becoming a more fundamentally sound basketball team," Sayers said. "I think we have improved in some areas of weakness, our players are bought in. They are committed to getting better and to being great teammates and that's where it all begins."
 
Junior center Cassidy Hashley leads the Saints with 14.9 points and 10.1 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Hannah Dean is averaging 10.6 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She is also second in the conference with 29 blocks and is the reigning conference Player of the Week.
 
Great Falls comes into the game with an 11-2 record, both loses came in conference games, falling 99-74 to Lewis-Clark and 75-68 to Montana Tech.
 
Stephanie McDonagh is having breakout year and leads the Argos with 16.3 points and 6.46 rebounds per game. Nneka Nnadi is second on the team with 12.85 PPG.
 
The Argos and Saints met four times last season and only one game was won by more than two possessions.  The home team won each of the four match ups.
 
"We have to compete every play. All of our conference games are going to come down to a couple possessions," Sayers said. "Great Falls is a very dangerous offensive team.  We have to limit what they do and make sure that we keep them off of the boards.  We have to force them into tough shots and box out like crazy."
 
MSU-Northern is 11-2 on the year with their only losses coming against No. 1 Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.) and No. 2 Lewis-Clark.
 
Returning Frontier Player of the Year Natalee Faupel averages 18 points per game to lead the Skylights and Jacy Thompson scored 11.24 PPG.
 
"Northern is a machine," Sayers said. "They are extremely disciplined, they run their stuff and run it really well. They will not make very many mistakes."
 
Despite the challenge ahead of them this weekend, Sayers says her players are ready for the games against some of the best teams in the country.
 
"I think they are confident and feel good about our non-conference," She said. "I hope that Saints Nation will be in full force this weekend, we are going to need everyone!"
 
Both games are slated for 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on 94.9 FM ESPN Montana Radio with live video on the Carroll Athletics Youtube channel. Live stats will be available via Dakstats.