Box Score BUTTE, Mont. – The Carroll College women's basketball fell to hot-shooting Montana Tech 78-64 in the Frontier Conference Quarterfinals Tuesday evening in Butte.
The Diggers hit their first five buckets and build a 10-3 lead in the process. The Saints shot well but could not keep pace with Tech as the Diggers built a 27-13 lead at the quarter on 11-13 shooting from the field.
Montana Tech kept the pressure on for the start of the second quarter and built a 38-18 lead on a bucket by Kaylynn Coverdell with 6:30 left in the quarter. The Saints then went on a 17-5 run to close the half and cut the score to 43-35 at the break.
The Saints continued their run, cutting the lead to 49-44 with 5:57 remaining in the third quarter. Montana Tech then closed the third with a 12-4 run to take a 61-48 lead into the fourth quarter.
The Diggers kept the Saints at a distance for the remainder of the game and held on for the 14-point win.
The Saints were effective from the field, hitting 22-48 (45.8 percent), including 6-12 (50 percent) from the three-point line but Montana Tech had its best shooting night of the season hitting 31-47(65.9 percent). The Saints were again bitten by the turnover bug, giving up the ball 17 times.
"It was a really tough way to end our season," head coach
Rachelle Sayers said. "I thought we battled back hard two or three times but Tech was just unstoppable tonight."
Martha Dembeck was 8-9 from the field and 4-4 from the three-point line for a game-high 22 points. Hattie Thatcher added 21.
Hannah Dean continued her stretch of strong performances, scoring a team-high 18 points. Bailey Pasted scored 13 and
Michaela Dowdy came off the bench to add 12.
The game will draw the Carroll women's season to an end, and although players and coaches alike will be disappointed in the results, there is excitement for the future of the Saints.
Carroll graduates two seniors in
Baylee Watson and
Julie Caputo but the Saints return their top-six scorers and nine of their top-10 producers.
"I'm excited about our future," Sayers said. "We return four of five starters and have a great group of freshman, including redshirt freshman Dani Wagner coming in and I think they will all make an impact. We are heartbroken today but the future is very bright. I'm proud of these kids and how hard they work daily to represent Carroll College in a first class manner."
The Diggers advance to face No. 2 Lewis-Clark State Friday in Lewiston.
