Women's Basketball | 10/27/23 | 11:57 AM

HELENA, Mont. – The No. 6-ranked Carroll College Women's Basketball team will officially open their 2023-24 season this evening in Helena, as they welcome No. 4 Indiana Wesleyan to the Carroll College PE Center at 7 p.m.
 
The Fighting Saints enter the 2023-24 season as the No. 6-ranked team in the NAIA after finishing the 2022-23 season at No. 11 in the poll, and an exit in the round of 16 at the NAIA National Championship.
 
Carroll, the 2022-23 Frontier Conference regular season and tournament champions, were a unanimous selection to repeat at Frontier Conference champions in the preseason coaches' poll.
 
Several key players have departed the program after record-setting careers, including all-time assist leader, Kamden Hilborn, and one of the best pure athletes to ever don the purple and gold, Sienna Swannack. The departures hurt, but the pain is eased by a trio of seniors who made the decision to stick around for one more shot at a national title.
 
Erica Nessan (Spokane, Wash. / G), Maddie Geritz (Boise, Idaho / G) and Jamie Pickens (Helena, Mont. / G) all return to the hilltop in 2023-24.
 
Nessan will see significant minutes at the point this season, and will have plenty of options with some of the top scoring players in the Frontier Conference surrounding her.
 
Geritz is one of the most experienced players in the league, and is one of, if not the, best passing post in the Frontier Conference. A vocal leader, Geritz brings a mixture of swagger, energy, and consistency to the Saints that only a sixth-year player can bring.
 
Jamie Pickens, 2022-23 Frontier Conference co-Player of the Year, and First Team NAIA All-American, was named Preseason Frontier Conference Player of the Year, and will look to finish her career as, potentially, the best front court player in program history.
 
Pickens averaged 17.6 points per game, alongside 7.7 rebounds per game and was nearly unstoppable last season for the Saints.
 
Kyndall Keller (Havre, Mont. / SR), one of the top-scorers in the conference last season (11.5 points per game) joins the three fifth-year returners in the presumed starting lineup, and was named preseason All-Conference.
 
"I think we bring back a good core of veteran players," said Head Coach Rachelle Sayers. "Kids with a lot of experience, as well as some new faces to the program that are going to be some impact players this year."
 
Willa Albrecht (Billings, Mont. / JR), a transfer from the University of Montana, is one of the new faces who Saints fans will consistently hear about in 2022-23. The transfer brings a blend of size, length, athleticism, and scoring ability that not many in the league can offer.
 
Freshmen Ellie Denny (Fairfield, Wash. / FR) and Alex Bullock (Helena, Mont. / FR) are two new additions who have also had an outstanding summer and fall camp, and could provide valuable depth as the season wears on.
 
Addi Ekstrom (Bozeman, Mont. / JR) will look to re-join the starting lineup again soon, finalizing her rehab from an unfortunate knee injury late-last season. Ekstrom has done it all for the Saints in her two seasons, and the coaching staff can't wait to see her back on the court.
 
Ava Oakland (Boise, Idaho / SO) is a name to look out for. Oakland has incredible drive and hustle, a knack for the hoop, and will be key player off of the bench for Carroll in 23-24.
 
"…I think we're going to have a little more firepower and shot-making ability from our guard positions this season, and with the experience and returns that we have in the post, this is a team that can absolutely make a run deep into March."
 
The Saints have a gauntlet of top-ranked opponents in the early stages of the season, beginning with tonight's 7 p.m. tip against the No. 4 team in the nation, Indiana Wesleyan.
 
"…Our philosophy has always been to schedule the best teams that we can play, in hopes that they can prepare us for what we're going to see in conference play, and if we're fortunate enough to have an opportunity in the national tournament the difficult early-season games tell us a lot about who we are and what we can expect come tournament time."
 
This team is not unfamiliar with the Wildcats, having played them last season in Indiana, and suffering one of the worst losses of the year, 59-36.
 
"They're one of the best teams in the country." Said Sayers of the Wildcats. "We had our worst loss of the season last year at their place. Lots of pressure, five-out, and an All-American in Jade Nutley, so we're going to have our hands full defensively. We're going to have to be aggressive offensively, and create some shots off the dribble and opportunities down low.
 
Carroll is up for the challenge tonight, however, and the team is no stranger to top-ranked teams in their season opener. Last season, Carroll opened with the No. 1-ranked team in Thomas More, and in 2021-22 they welcomed No. 2 Southeastern for their first home game.
 
"This group has played in a lot of big games; they're experienced and know the type of effort it is going to take to get a win like Indiana Wesleyan. Confidence-wise and maturity-wise, I'm glad we have the returners out there on the court for a game like this."
 
Tonight's game will be streamed live on the Fighting Saints Network – presented by Point S Tire & Auto Service, and live stats can be followed HERE.
 
Visit www.carrollathletics.com this evening for a full recap of the action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.