Women's Basketball | 12/17/23 | 10:53 AM

HELENA, Mont. - The No. 5-ranked Carroll Women's Basketball team have arrived on the islands of Hawaii for the first time in five years, and will play three games against stout competition as part of the Hoops in Hawaii Holiday Classic over the next three days.

The Fighting Saints (7-2) have done well to maintain their position inside the nation's top-five teams over the early portion of the non-conference schedule, and will look to add three more wins to their total before a return to the mainland on Wednesday.

Sitting at 7-2, and No. 5 in the NAIA, it's hard to believe that there is much room for improvement. The team continually schedules the best competition that they can find in the early-season, with the goal of better preparing themselves for a long Frontier slate, and a hopeful late push into the month of March.

2022 First Team All-American, Jamie Pickens (Helena, Mont. / GR) is averaging a near double-double on the year, with 17.8 ppg and 9.8 rebounds per game. 

Guard Addi Ekstrom (Bozeman, Mont. / JR) has been a spark in recent weeks coming off of an injury-shortened 2022-23 season, and has been the most consistent perimeter threat for the Saints since her return.

A two week break in the action ahead of Thursday's close win over Grace (Ind.) saw the Saints look a little rusty, but the team is focused heading towards three games that those in the program have had circled on their calendar since late last spring.

Tonight, at 4:15 p.m. MST, the Saints will take on Jamestown, a team they beat last season at the PE Center to advance to the NAIA WBB National Championship final site in Sioux City, Iowa.
| LIVE STATS | VIDEO |

The Jimmies are a slightly different team from the '22-23 squad, having lost forward Hannah DeMars, who had an outstanding game the last time the pair met. Jamestown is 5-5 on the year, and are led by guard Kate Cordes and her 17.2 points per game average.

Monday night at 4:15 p.m. MST, the Saints will take on (RV) Indiana Tech.
| LIVE STATS | VIDEO |

The Warriors enter the weekend at 8-1, and a winners of their last seven-straight games. Their only blemish on the year is a loss to then-receiving votes Georgetown (Ky.). Erika Foy, a forward for the Warriors, leads the team with 18.0 ppg and 9.0 rebounds per contest.

The Saints picked up one additional game while on the island, and Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. MST they will play host-school, NCAA Division II Hawaii Pacific.
| LIVE STATS | VIDEO |
The Hoops in Hawaii Holiday Classic is a multi-level event, with both Men's and Women's NAIA and NCAA DII schools playing all weekend. The Saints-Sharks matchup on Tuesday is the only crossover on the Women's side of the event.

All three games can be viewed HERE, but the stream is pay-to-watch.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com each night for a recap of the action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.