Women's Basketball | 11/04/20 | 9:07 PM

HELENA, Mont. -- The Carroll College Fighting Saints women's basketball team will take whatever twist or turn comes their way this upcoming basketball season.

With 83% of their scoring returning from a season ago and a pair of All-Americans and a University of Montana transfer, the Fighting Saints are hopeful for a chance to show the NAIA what they can do in 2020-21. 
A season ago, the Fighting Saints were in national title contention when the championship was canceled. This season the Saints prepare to embrace a day-to-day, week-to-week and game-to-game schedule caused by the coronavirus. 

"I think everybody is a little bit concerned whether we're going to get a full season or something comparable to that," Saints coach Rachelle Sayers said. "I'm excited about our roster and our returners and the addition of Jamie, but each week is going to be tough. All the testing and protocols. The team that can keep their group intact the longest will have the most success."

Coach Sayers' non-conference schedules most season feature Top 25 opponents, NCAA Div-I matchups and loads of challenges to test her team's mettle. This season, however, finding games has been difficult for not only the Saints, but college basketball teams across the nation. Frontier Conference teams are playing but a handful of non-conference games before the conference season is slated to begin in December. 

And when the games do roll around, each member of the team and support staff will run through a gamut of testing protocols and safety precautions to ensure each athlete's wellbeing.   

"It's part of the routine now," Sayers said. "The team understands what they have to do and understands that every decision we have to make today and tomorrow affects what happens in January and February. They want to play so they are willing to do it. They are anxious. They are nervous and worried about a year that could be really special or it could be a year that doesn't happen. That's in the back of their minds." 

The Saints at full strength are expected to be special this season. Frontier Conference coaches dubbed them the preseason champion, while nationally the Saints were earmarked the preseason No. 20 team in the NAIA. Saints seniors Christine Denny and Dani Wagner were also noted as preseason all-conference choices. 

The Saints also added University of Montana transfer and Helena native Jamie Pickens, who is expected to fill a big role for the Saints' interior. 

"We have pretty much all the holes filled," Sayers said. We have a lot of talent and a ton of depth, but it's all for naught if we can't get them on the court together." 

The goal will be to once again win the Frontier Conference. 

"We've never had so many kids that have been able to produce at the level we can this year," Sayers said. "It's going to be a challenge for our staff to go in with a good balanced attack and let these guys play. We're going to take the reins off and let them go. We have a talented, experienced group. They don't need a ton of direction. They need confidence and a game plan and they'll run with it."

Here's a breakdown of the Saints' 2020-21 basketball roster. 

POINT GUARDS

"We have two point guards with a lot of experience that really control the ball for us on both sides of the court in Jaidyn Lyman and Kamden Hilborn," Sayers said. 
"Our ability to play them together or rest one for the other gives us a huge advantage. They both have the ability to take over on both ends of the court. You saw it with Jaidyn's charges and Kamden's steals. 

Jaidyn Lyman

Senior

5-foot-3

Spokane, Washington

LAST SEASON: 31 GP, 2 GS, 5.2 ppg, 35% FG, 29% 3-pt, 64% FT, 1.9 APG, 1.5 RPG 0.9 SPG

Kamden Hilborn

Junior

5-foot-7

Clancy, Montana

LAST SEASON: 31 GP, 30 GS, 6.9 PPG, 37% FG, 40% 3-pt, 57% FT, 3.3 APG (led team), 2.5 RPG, 1.2 SPG 

Kyle Olson 

Redshirt freshman

5-foot-8

Three Forks, Montana

LAST SEASON: Redshirt

Quote: "She'll do a little bit of point and off guard. Kyle is a big time scorer out of Big Forks. She gives us more of the three-point shooting and scoring type of point guard." 

TWO GUARDS
 

Sienna Swannack

Junior

5-foot-9

Nine Mile Falls, Washington

LAST SEASON: 31 GP, 29 GS, 9.4 PPG, 40% FG, 36% 3-pt, 90% FT, 4 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.2 SPG

PAST ACCOLADES: Honorable mention all-conference (2019-20)

Quote: "Sienna is a returning all-conference player from last year. One of the most athletic players we've had in the program. She has the ability to play a lot of positions for us. She really developed her three-point shooting game last year. She's a kid that we feel like when she decides to turn it on, there's really nobody that can stop her when she gets in the paint. She has that ability to jump up and score over people." 

Molly McDermott

Junior

6-foot-2

Spokane, Washington

LAST SEASON: 28 GP, 1.9 PPG, 34% FG, 17% 3-pt, 83% FT, 1.4 RPG

Quote: "A 6-2 guard, she came in and gave us good minutes last year. She had a great summer. She's pretty good at shooting and she understands that she can score in the paint at will as well. There's not many guards that can stop 6-2 in the paint. We've been really encouraging her to be more aggressive and get in the key and make some things happen in there." 

Erica Nessan

Sophomore

5-foot-7

Spokane, Washington

LAST SEASON: 10 GP, 1.3 PPG, 67% FG

Quote: "Erica Nessan gave us some minutes at the off guard as a true freshman," Sayers said. "She has a great skillset. She's another kinda combo guard that can really score. Obviously those skillsets that Erica and Kyle have are vital in a year like this year when you have to move some players around." 

SMALL FORWARDS

Dani Wagner

Senior

5-foot-9

Havre, Montana

LAST SEASON:  31 GP, 31 GS, 13.4 PPG (led team), 44%, 31% 3-pt, 76% FT, 5.5 RPG, 2 APG, 1.6 SPG (led team)

Past accolades: Honorable mention All-American (2019-20), first team all-conference (2019-20), second team all-conference (2018-19)

Quote: "We're expecting big things out of her. In the few weeks we've had in practice, I really challenged Dani to develop her play making abilities. She's a big-time scorer and shooter, but I thought she could be a playmaker. She's taken that to heart. She's had major improvements in a short time we've been together."

Emma Madsen

Senior

5-foot-10

Great Falls, Montana

LAST SEASON: 16 GP, 1 PPG, 

Quote: "She can come in and has a great feel for the game. She can hit the three and get to the rim. Emma is going to give us some good minutes and she's a kid that can come in and score right away. That's so nice when you can bring kids off the bench and they can provide quality minutes for you." 

Christine Denny

Senior

5-foot-9

Fairfield, Washington

LAST SEASON: 31 GP, 30 GS, 12.4 PPG, 43% FG, 23% 3-pt, 77% FT, 6.4 RPG (led team), 2.6 APG, 1.4 SPG

Past accolades: Second team All-American (2019-20), first team all-conference (2019-20), honorable mention All-American (2018-19), second team all-conference (2018-19). 

Quote: "She's a second team All-American. She's one of those kids that is a mismatch nightmare. She's too good on the perimeter and she's too quick and then she's too strong for guards in the paint. Christine will again be a really important part to our offense. As a freshman she was playing the point. It's nice having her out there because she can handle the ball and get us into our offense."

POWER FORWARDS

Maddie Geritz

Redshirt sophomore
6-foot-2

Boise, Idaho

LAST SEASON: 31 GP, 6.3 PPG, 52% FG, 33% 3-pt, 77% FT, 3.2 RPG

QUOTE: "Maddie Geritz will be a stretch four for us. Maddie had some big games for us last year. I think people really saw what she is capable of. At 6-2 her ability to shoot is quality and she probably has one of the best shot-fakes I've coached. She is a kid that can give you 10 to 15 points on any night. You'll see a lot of Maddie Geritz this year."

Rakiah Grende

Redshirt freshman

5-foot-8

Kalispell, Montana

LAST SEASON: Redshirt

Quote: "Rakiah Grende will be making her first appearance as a Saint this year. She'll be a stretch forward as well. She's really athletic. She's got a great motor. She plays hard. We're really excited for what she can do and what she brings to the table." 

CENTERS

Jamie Pickens

Sophomore

6-foot-2

Helena, Montana

LAST SEASON (Montana): 29 GP, 7.6 PPG, 42% FG, 79.4% FT, 3.6 RPG

Quote: "She's coming in with a great attitude. She's really willing to learn and wants to be a part of this group. Her ability to come in and just want to be a part versus taking over a team has made a tremendous impact on her teammates already. She's amazingly talented for her size. She can shoot the three or put it on the ground and score. Her rebounding ability is going to be something we haven't seen in a long time. There's a lot of people in the city of Helena that want to watch her out there. We're excited as well to see her out there. We're going to do what we can to get the ball in the paint."

Genesis Wilkinson

Sophomore

6-foot

Newman Lake, Washington

LAST SEASON: 11 GP, 3 PPG, 68% FG, 3.2 RPG

Quote: "She's going to play more of the center position. She's an undersized post. She's one of those kids that has an unbelievable knack at getting good angles and finishing around the rim. I wouldn't be surprised if she shot 65% from the field. She's learned to use her body and score around bigger defenders. People saw that last year. She'd make a move and people would be in awe. She's Gen. She does that every day. She's really developed her high-post shot. She developed her three-pointer. She's going to be able to contribute offensively."