01/04/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 4, 2009 –The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team drained several key free throws in the closing minute of the game to pull out a 64-56 win over the Concordia University (AB) Thunder in their final non-conference contest of the season at the UGF McLaughlin Center.
Kristen McCurdy scored the first points of the game for Concordia in the first minute of the game but the lead would be short-lived as Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) knocked down a trey from long range to give the Argos a 3-2 advantage early in the first half. Great Falls would go on a 11-0 run as five Argos would get into the scoring column including MacKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID), Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT), Kassie Holmlund, Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA). Concordia then made a 5-0 run of their own on a pair of free throws and a three point field goal by Jordan Anstice to cut the deficit to 14-7 midway throught the first half. Great Falls maintained their lead throughout the half as Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) added a jump shot from behind the arc to give the Argos their biggest lead with a 24-10 advantage with 6:34 remaining. A field goal by Jordan Anstice cut the deficit for Concordia to six points (24-18) but the Argos would end the half with a basket by Marissa Francis from a pass by Danielle Heny (JR, Powell, WY) to make the score 30-19.
Great Falls out-rebounded the Thunder 24-18 in the first half. The Argos shot 11-for-30 from the field while they held Concordia to 6-for 27.
Jocelyn Moore and Leslie Saunders opened up the second half with a pair of field goals to lift the Argos to a 35-19 lead in the first two minutes. Cailin Lissel answered with back-to-back baskets for Concordia at the 13:41 mark. Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) and Jocelyn Moore knocked down a pair of field goals for Great Falls to increase the lead to 44-36 with 10:00 minutes remaining in the contest. The Thunder would make a comeback and tie the game at 48-48 on a basket by Kristine McCurdy. Concordia led 52-50 with just over two minutes to play. On their next possession however, Danielle Heny drilled a key three pointer to put the Argos back on top for good. After a couple of quickly traded baskets, the Argos scored three straight times off of Thunder turnovers to take control. The Argos closed out the game by making 3-4 at the charity stripe.
Turnovers proved costly for Concordia as they committed a team-high 37 as the Argo defense racked up 22 steals. In the final half, Concordia shot the ball better and connected on 14-for-25 from the field while Great Falls made 10-for-32. The University of Great Falls also went to the charity stripe more often asn they connected on 17-for-22 while the Thunder made 10 of their 13 trips to the line.
Marissa Francis led the way for the Argos with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 8 steals while Jocelyn Moore and Kassie Holmlund would combine for 22 points and 11 rebounds.
Meanwhile, Cailin Lissel scored 19 points on 7-for-16 shooting before fouling out late in the contest for the Thunder. Kristen McCurdy, Jordan Anstice and Erika Bergum pulled down 7 rebounds apiece.
The Lady Argos are now 6-9 on the season. This was an exhibition game for Concordia University College of Alberta so they remain at 14-8.
12/30/2008
LAS VEGAS, NV – December 30, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women’s hoop team won two of their three contests at the three-day Las Vegas Shoot-Out that ended with a 79-70 victory over the Bethany College (KS) Swedes on Tuesday afternoon.
Both teams battled throughout but Great Falls took a 36-35 lead into the locker room at halftime. In the second half, the Argos outscored Bethany College 43-35 and connected on 32 of their 70 shot attempts in the contest. Both teams were had 33 rebounds but the difference in this game were the turnovers. Bethany College had twice as many turnovers (30-15) than the University of Great Falls.
“I am really excited about how well we played today against Bethany College. We played well together as a team at this tournament and we shot the ball well. Our defense stopped a lot of points, “said UGF women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. “We know that will be a key factor as we get ready for the Frontier Conference season next week.”
Five student-athletes scored in double figures for Great Falls. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) scored 21 points on 10-for-12 shooting and had 6 boards . Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) shot 7-for-9 from the field and racked up 19 points. MacKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID), Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) and Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) combined for 30 points. Saunders also dished out 8 assists.
Jade Pihl and Rachelle Gaylord each led Bethany College with 15 points apiece while Roni Whitman added 12 points and pull down 9 rebounds for the Swedes.
Great Falls and Bethany College are now both 5-9 on the season.
12/29/2008
LAS VEGAS, NV – December 29, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team played well on both ends of the floor on Monday afternoon as they picked up a 76-66 victory over Madonna University (MI) on the second day of the Las Vegas Shoot-Out in Nevada.
Great Falls jumped out to a 9-2 lead with 17:20 left in the first half as four different Argos scored. Great Falls would lead until the 13th minute when Vanessa LaMay gave Madonna their first lead (14-13) of the contest with a lay-up. The Argos would regain the lead on a Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) trey to put the Argos up 19-16 two minutes later. The Argos would lead by as many 13 (36-23) in the first half and the Argos took a 38-34 lead into halftime.
MacKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) started the Argos off in the second half by connecting on a three pointer to increase the Argo lead to 41-34. The Argos took advantage of the slow start by Madonna as Ashley Stephen’s (SR, Spanaway, WA) lay-up gave the Argos their largest lead of the contest (56-41) with 12 minutes remaining in the contest. Tabatha Wydryck’s lay-up cut Madonna’s deficit to 7 points with four minutes left but the University of Great Falls ended the game on a 7-4 run.
“I was pleased with how well we played against Madonna University. We shot the ball well and played team basketball both offensively and defensively today,” said UGF women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.
Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) led the Argo attack by scoring 12 points apiece while MacKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) and Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) combined for 22 points. Holmlund made all of her field goals from long range as she connected on 4-for-9 and Moore pulled down 10 boards. Marissa Francis (FR, Great Falls, MT) chipped in 10 points and 2 blocks.
Meanwhile, Tabatha Wydryck led Madonna University with 16 points and 6 rebounds. Vanessa LaMay added 12 points on 5-for-10 from the field.
The Lady Argos improve to 4-9 on the seasonwhile Madonna University goes to 4-11.
12/28/2008
LAS VEGAS, NV– December 28, 2008 –The University of Great Falls Argo women opened up the Las Vegas Shoot-Out Invitational Tournament on Sunday with an 80-57 defeat to Mount Marty College at the Desert Oasis High School in Nevada.
Both NAIA programs battled it out in the first half as the game remained close. The Argos held a early 22-12 advantage over the Lancers but it was Mount Marty College (SD) that took a 40-30 lead going into the second half.
In the second half, Mount Marty took control early and outscored Great Falls 40-27. The Argos shot 19-for-58 from the field as a team while the Lancers connected on 28-for-71 during the opening contest of the prestigious Las Vegas Shoot-Out that also features #2 Vanguard University, Cal Baptist, Cumberlands (TN), Bethany College (Kansas), Cal Maritime and Michigan’s Madonna University.
The Argos had two players in double figures as Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) scored 11 points on 3-for-5 shooting and converting on all five of her free throws. Moore also grabbed 7 rebounds. Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) scored 10 points on 4-for-9 from the field while blocking three shots on the defensive end.
Mount Marty had three athletes combine for 51 points as Lacey Powell led the way for the Lancers with 20 points on 7-for-14 from the floor while Katelynn Kunz added 16 points and 12 rebounds. Jenny Miller chipped in 15.
In other action at the tournament, #2 Vanguard University defeated Madonna University (MI) 84-59 and Cumberland (TN) defeated California Maritime 76-65.
The Lady Argos are now 3-9 on the seasonwhile Mount Marty College goes to 10-4.
12/13/2008
LEWISTON, ID– December 13, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women dropped an 89-49 decision to #8 Point Loma Nazarene on the final day of the Wells Fargo Invitational in Lewiston, Idaho on Saturday night.
Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) scored the first basket of the game against the eighth ranked Sea Lions but that lead would be short-lived as Colleen Planeta tied the contest for Point Loma. The Sea Lions remained in control in this half as they held Great Falls to 19 points. Point Loma Nazarene led by as many as 25 points (40-15) with 2:34 remaining in the first half. Colleen Planeta led all scorers with 14 first half points on 7-for-11 from the field for the Sea Lions. The cold-shooting Argos were held to just 29% from the floor while Point Loma made 58% of their shots. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) each scored four points for Great Falls. The Sea Lions took a 44-19 lead going into the second half.
The second half was more of the same for the Argos. Great Falls shot 19-for-54 for the contest and 3-for-14 from long distance. The Sea Lions out-rebounded the Argos 49-23. Point Loma created 29 turnovers for the Argos and scored 17 points off of them. The University of Great Falls could not stop Point Loma’s offense. Colleen Planeta registered a double-double with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists for the Sea Lions.
Amanda Franz added 13 points while three other athletes added 10 points apiece for the California school. Marissa Francis led the Argos with 9 points and 3 boards while Jocelyn Moore and Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) finished the contest with 10.
The Lady Argos are now 3-8 on the seasonwhile Point Loma Nazarene University goes to 4-4.
12/12/2008
LEWISTON, ID– December 12, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women held off Fresno Pacific University on Friday night 66-61 on the first day of the Wells Fargo Invitational hosted by Lewis-Clark State College.
The Argos battled back from an eight point deficit with 10:45 left to lead by one point (28-27) at the break on a basket by Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) from a pass by Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA). Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) scored 9 of her 15 points in the first half for Great Falls. The Argo women connected on 10 of their 23 field goals in the first half as they out-rebounded Fresno Pacific 16-13.
In the second half, the Argos never trailed and led by as much as nine points as Ashley Stephen’s field goal increased the lead to 59-50 with 6:00 minutes left in the contest. Great Falls shot 65% from the floor in the second half including 3-for-5 from behind the arc and held Fresno Pacific to 40% shooting. Fresno Pacific’s MacKenzie Butler cut the deficit to 64-61 with 36 seconds left but Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) sealed the game by connecting on two free throws.
The Argo women had three athletes in double figures as Marissa Francis led the way with 15 points and 6 boards while Leslie Saunders and Kassie Holmlund each ended the contest with 14. Jessica Torrecillas led the Sunbirds with 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting. Melissa Flores and MacKenzie Butler combined for 24 points and 8 rebounds.
“The girls played really well tonight. I was very pleased on how we were able to answer runs when they did and we stepped up when we needed to. This was our first win in school history over a GSAC (Golden State Athletic Conference) team,” said UGF women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.
The Lady Argos improves to 3-7 on the seasonwhile Fresno Pacific University goes to 5-3.
12/7/2008
Bozeman, MT– December 7, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women fell to Montana State University 100-62 in an exhibition contest at Worthington Arena on Sunday afternoon.
The Argos shot 42% from the field while Montana State made half of their shot attempts in the first half as the Bobcats led at the break 59-27 but they only outscored the Argos 41-35 in the final half. Montana State out-rebounded the Argos 42-29 and forced them to commit 35 turnovers while the Cats gave the ball up 16 times. In the second half, Great Falls limited their turnovers, rebounded better, and kept MSU off the free throw line.
Nubia Garcia added 14 points and 10 rebounds as she led six Montana State athletes in double figures. Erica Perry, Anne Phippard and Lyndi Steidensticker, Mara Hoefer and Katie Bussey also posted double digits.
Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) paced the Argo women with 13 points on three-of-four from behind the arc while Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) finished the afternoon with 10 after coming off the bench.
The University of Great Falls remains at 2-7 as this was an exhibition contest for the Argos. The Lady Cats are now 4-3 on the season.
11/29/2008
LETHBRIDGE, AB– November 29, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women came up short against the University of Lethbridge Pronghorns 70-68 on Saturday night in Lethbridge, Alberta.
Great Falls kept it within a few points in the first half and they were down by as much as five points early on in the contest. The Argos led 29-28 at halftime on a three point field goal by Morgan Jorgenson (FR, Harrison, MT) with 49 seconds remaining. Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) saw her first action of the season for the women’s basketball team as she also plays on the Argo volleyball team. In the first half, she connected on all three of her field goal attempts and had eight of her 10 points on the night. The Argos connected on 38% of their field goals and held Lethbridge to 29%.
The Argos and Pronghorns batted it out in the second half as both teams kept the score within a few points. Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) gave the Argos a 67-65 advantage at the 1:36 mark of the second half. The lead would be short-lived as Sam Hornquist’s jumper tied it up on Lethbridge’s next possession. Both teams exchanged free throws before Kenzie Sheen’s jumper with 18 seconds left gave Lethbridge the win over Great Falls as the Argos missed two shots in the final seconds.
Leslie Saunders led the Argo women with 14 points while Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) and Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) combined for 21 points. Ashley Stephens (SR, Spanaway, WA) chipped in 9 points and 7 boards. Lauren Taal and Sam Hornquist each scored 16 points for the Pronghorns.
The Lady Argos are now 2-7 on the season. Meanwhile, the University of Lethbridge remains at 4-9 as this was an exhibition contest for the Pronghorns.
11/21/2008
CALDWELL, ID – November 21, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women’s hoop team fell 66-41 in their first road game of the season against College of Idaho on Friday night.
Keyla Briese’s (JR, Chester, MT) gave the Argos an 8-6 lead before the College of Idaho went on a 12-0 run in the first half. The Argos trailed only by six points at halftime (29-23) despite shooting 33% from the field.
The College of Idaho held Great Falls to 18 second half points on 7-for-28 shooting. Both teams struggled throughout the contest from behind the arc as the College of Idaho was 16% while Great Falls could not connect on any of their attempts. The Coyotes scored 28 points off 34 turnovers for Great Falls.
Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) each tallied 11 points and 9 rebounds for the Argos. The College of Idaho had three players in double figures as Meghan Hughes, ShaNae Horner and Christon Vander Esch combined for 36 points for the Coyotes. Nicole Bruce added 10 rebounds.
The Lady Argos are now 2-6 on the season. Meanwhile, the College of Idaho goes to 6-1 with their sixth straight victory.
11/17/2008
GREAT FALLS, Mont., November 17, 2008 — University of Great Falls has announced their All-Tournament Team from the 2008 Townhouse Inn Classic women's basketball tournament that was hosted by the University of Great Falls on November 14-15, 2008.
The four teams that competed here were Warner Pacific College (OR), Dickinson State University (ND), MSU-Northern and the University of Great Falls.
All selections were made by the tournament coaches.
Dickinson State senior Ashley Emmons was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament as she averaged 13.0 points per game, 2.5 rebounds and shot 10-for-16 from the field in wins over MSU-Northern and the University of Great Falls. Her teammate, Kelsey Boedeker was also selected on the team as she averaged 14.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game.
Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) and Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) were selected from the University of Great Falls. Moore averaged 19.5 points and 6 rebounds in both games against Warner Pacific and Dickinson State. Holmlund scored scored 11 points and had 7 assists against Warner Pacific and 15 points and 3 assists in Saturday's contest against Dickinson State.
Other selections included Warner Pacific's Jacque Barton and Kelsey Mattson who each scored 18 points on Friday against the University of Great Falls and then they combined for 31 points against MSU-Northern on Saturday afternoon. Taylor Keller and Stacie Barker of MSU-Nothern round out the team as they helped the Skylights go to 1-1 in the tournament. Keller averaged 15 points per game and Barker had 12 in both games against Warner Pacific and Dickinson State.
"We were pleased with how smoothly the Townhouse Inn Classic ran," said UGF women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. "Fans got to see four teams play a very high level of basketball and we are very appreciative of the Townhouse Inn's continued support of our tournament."
2008 Townhouse Inn Classic: All-Tournament Team
Ashley Emmons, SR, Dickinson State (MVP)
Stacie Barker, SR, MSU-Northern
Jacque Barton, SR, Warner Pacific
Kelsey Boedeker, SO, Dickinson State
Kassie Holmlund, JR, University of Great Falls
Taylor Keller, SO, MSU-Northern
Kelsey Mattson, FR, Warner Pacific
Jocelyn Moore, SR, University of Great Falls
11/15/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 15, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team could not overcome a 52-36 deficit to Dickinson State at halftime as the Blue Hawks defeated the Argo women 78-65 at the final day of the Townhouse Inn Classic at the University of Great Falls on Saturday.
The Argo women had a slight 23-19 advantage early in the contest as Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) scored 12 of her 20 points in the half but Dickinson’s Mindy Vanderpan scored five points with 7:14 remaining in the first half to put the Blue Hawks ahead 31-25. Dickinson State ended the half on a 21-11 run as Teryl Norton’s shot from behind the arc in the closing seconds before halftime put the Blue Hawks ahead 52-36. Dickinson State connected on 8-for-10 from three point land. The Argos connected on 48% of their field goals.
Both teams opened up the second half trading baskets as the Argos tried to find some momentum as Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) buried a jumper from long distance with 12:00 minutes remaining. The Argos could not overcome some turnovers and the hot shooting of the Blue Hawks in the second half as they connected on 10 of their 15 three point baskets in the contest. There were only 7 total fouls called in the half. The Argos shot 45% for the game compared to 52% for Dickinson State.
Holmlund and Moore chipped in 20 and 15 points, respectively for the Argos. Moore also led both teams in rebounding with 8 on 10-for-16 shooting. The Blue Hawks ended the contest with four players in double figures led by Kelsey Boedeker with 15 points.
The Lady Argos are now 2-5 on the season while Dickinson State University goes to 5-2.
11/14/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 14, 2008 –Warner Pacific College slipped by the Argo women’s basketball team 79-67 on Friday night at the 2008 Townhouse Inn Classic hosted by the University of Great Falls.
Great Falls opened up the game with a basket by Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) off a pass by Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT). Warner Pacific evened things up and each team would trade leads but the Knights went on an 8-0 run at the 12:19 mark of the first half capped by a three point field goal from Jacque Barton togive them a 18-10 lead. Great Falls would get no closer than four points throughout the rest of the half as Warner Pacific led 40-29 going into halftime. Each team had 11 turnovers and Warner Pacific out- rebounded Great Falls 21-11.
The Argos shot 54% from the field as they connected on 13-for-24 in the second half but consistent shooting from the outside made the difference for Warner Pacific as they ended the half with a shooting percentage of 61%. The Knights outscored the Argos 39-38 in the final 20 minutes to pick up their second victory of the season.
Kelsey Mattsen and Jacque Barton each had 18 points and Mattsen also pulled down 12 rebounds for the Knights. The Argos had three players in double figures as Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT), Jocelyn Moore, and Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) combined for 44 points.
In the first game of the Townhouse Inn Classic, Dickinson State University defeated MSU-Northern (3-2) 4-2) 60-49.
The Lady Argos are now 2-4 on the season while Warner Pacific University goes to 2-1.
11/8/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 8, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team fell to Dickinson State University 73-63 on Saturday night in the McLaughlin Center after leading throughout the contest.
Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) scored four of her nine first half points in the first six minutes of the contest as Great Falls had a slight lead over the Blue Hawks 12-10 at the 13:46 mark of the first half. Both teams traded baskets and Great Falls was down 15-14 when Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) connected from long range to give the Argos a 17-15 lead midway through the first half. Only a few points separated the Argos and Blue Hawks in the first half as the University of Great Falls would cling to a 32-30 advantage at the half. Great Falls had 7 steals in the half as Saunders and Francis each had two. Dickinson State out-shot the Argos 46% to 42%.
UGF’s Mackenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) opened up the second half with a shot from behind the arc and a Marissa Francis basket helped the Argos pull away momentarily from the Blue Hawks 45-36 with 15:17 remaining before Kelsey Boedeker led the charge for Dickinson State and tied the game with a few points of her own at 50-50 with under 11:00 left. Jennifer Marquez then gave the Blue Hawks their first lead of the half at 53-52 as they bwgan to pull away from the Argos.
Mackenzie Gentry led the Argos as she scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Marissa Franicis combined for 14 of Great Falls’ 25 rebounds on the night. Kelsey Boedeker was one of four Blue Hawks in double figures as she led them with 17 points while Kia Herbel and Jennifer Marquez added 7 rebounds apiece.
The Lady Argos are now 2-3 on the season while Dickinson State University goes to 2-2.
11/7/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 7, 2008 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team fell in overtime to NAIA II #13 Minot State University 80-70 on Friday night in a non-conference contest at the McLaughlin Center.
The Argos struck first in the game as they led 9-0 with baskets by Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT), Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) and Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) each scored during the run. Minot State hung around and got back into the game quickly as Hattie Ternes cut the deficit to 19-12 with 8:16 remaining in the first half. Both teams combined for 32 turnovers in the half as the Argos took a 40-30 lead after 20 minutes of action. Great Falls out-shot Minot State 54% to 42% but Minot State won the rebound battle 20-11.
In the second half, the Beavers kept the lead within 10 points as both teams traded baskets early on as Great Falls only led 61-58 with 3:58 remaining. Great Falls led throughout the contest until the final 19.6 seconds when a three by Minot State’s Hatti Ternes tied the game at 66-66 to send it to overtime.
The Beavers took advantage of some Argo turnovers to go on a 12-4 run in overtime as they came back to defeat the University of Great Falls 80-70.
Marissa Francis led the Argos with 18 points and grabbed 9 boards before fouling out. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Kassie Holmlund each added 13 points for Great Falls. Minot State received 17 points and 5 rebounds from Hatti Ternes including 4-for-5 from three point range and Sam Medcalf pulled down 12 rebounds.
The Lady Argos are now 2-2 on the season while Minot State University goes to 2-1.
11/2/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 2, 2008 –The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team defeated the Walla Walla University Wolves 85-43 on Sunday afternoon at the McLaughlin Center.
The Argos opened up the game with a 12-4 lead as Keyla Briese (JR, Chester, MT) connected on a three point field goal with less than twelve minutes remaining until halftime. The Argos held Walla Walla University to just seven points in the first eleven minutes of action and 15 points at halftime. The Argo women shot 39% from the field and held Walla Walla University to 24%. The teams combined for 29 first half turnovers.
Great Falls continued to dominate over the Washington school as they opened up a 27 point lead in the second half on a basket by Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA). The Argos never lost the lead and used some big plays to get their second straight victory over the Wolves.
Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) led the Argos in scoring as she poured in 23 while Heather McFadden pulled down 7 boards.
The Lady Argos are now 2-1 on the season while Walla Walla University goes to 0-3.
11/1/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – November 1, 2008 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team cruised by the Walla Walla University Wolves 84-54 on Saturday night in the McLaughlin Center as they picked up their first victory of the season.
The Argos built a 6-0 lead on a pair of baskets by Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) and a layup by Mackenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID). Great Falls stretched their lead to 20-9 as Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) scored two of her seven first half points halfway through the first half. Walla Walla had 20 first half turnovers and 20 first half points as the Argos took a 45-20 lead into halftime. The Argo women shot 54% from the field while the Wolves shot 47%.
Great Falls continued to dominate the second half as Kassie Holmlund’s (JR, Great Falls, MT) three point field goal lifted the Argos to a 57-26 advantage with about twelve minutes left in the contest. Walla Walla’s cut the lead to 60-40 but the Wolves would not get closer as Great Falls finished off the victory.
The Argos had three players in double figures as Moore, Holmlund, and Sauders combined for 45 points. Holmlund was 2-for-3 from behind the arc while Saunders connected on 8-for-11 field goals. Marissa Francis (FR, Great Falls, MT pulled down 6 rebounds. The Wolves got 14 points from Heather McFadden while Dominique Pusher and Jennifer Buchheim each grabbed 11 rebounds apiece.
10/30/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT – October 30, 2008 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team fell to #2 Vanguard University 85-59 as both teams opened up the 2008 season at the McLaughlin Center on Thursday night.
Vanguard opened up the contest with an 8-2 advantage over the Argos. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) scored UGF’s first two points of the season at the 16:00 minute mark of the first half. The Argos went on a 5-2 run to cut the deficit to 10-7 before Vanguard pulled away to a 45-23 lead at halftime. Moore scored 13 of her 17 points in the first 20:00 minutes of action. The Lions shot 49% from the field while UGF went 39%.
In the second half, Vanguard would control the tempo of the game as they went on a 16-11 run to make it 63-38 with 10:35 left in the game. The Argos would get as close as 13 points just over midway through the second stanza, but Vanguard was able to answer and close out the game. The Argos played much better in the second half as the lions only outscored the hosts by 3.
Diana Neves led the Lions with 17 points while Lauren Gregory pulled down 10 boards. In addition to her 13 points, Jocelyn Moore grabbed 11 rebounds and Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) added 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting for Great Falls.
"I thought this was a great opportunity for our team to play a quality opponent in preparation for Frontier Conference play later in the year," noted head coach Shawn Chaffin. "I was pleased that we never backed down and pretty much stood toe to toe with the defending national champs. This bodes well for the future of our program as we continue to build."
The Lady Argos are now 0-1 on the season while Vanguard University goes to 1-0.
4/25/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT (Friday, April 25, 2008) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of a local athlete to an NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.
Marijka (pronounced MAR-RIKE-A) Francis is a 5’7” guard from Great Falls High School in Great Falls, Montana. She averaged 5.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game this past season for the Lady Bison. She joins her older sister Marissa, a freshman guard, and former high school teammate Kirilynn Winkler in the Lady Argo program. Marijka is the daughter of Lucius and Mary Ellen Francis and she will be majoring in sociology at the University of Great Falls.
"Marijka will be a terrific fit in our program. She is really athletic, and she has a very high ceiling for development. Marijka is also a great student, and we are excited that she will be joining us this fall," said UGF women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.
4/21/2008
GREAT FALLS, MT (Monday, April 21, 2008) — The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team has announced the signing of two athletes to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2008-2009 season.
Mackenzie Gentry is from Pocatello, Idaho. The 5'9" guard will be transferring to the University of Great Falls from Sheridan Junior College in Sheridan, Wyoming. She averaged 10.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game for the Lady Generals last season where she helped the team to a 26-4 record and a runner-up finish in Region IX’s Northern Division. Gentry also shot 41% from the field.
"Mackenzie is a winner in every sense of the word. She is strong off the dribble and has a great touch from mid-range. Mackenzie is a talented passer as well, having helped set up three of the top scorers in Region IX. She is also a tenacious ball defender, and she continues our trend of getting more athletic," said UGF women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin.
UGF has also signed Lisa Van De Riet from Foothills Community Christian School in Great Falls, MT. Lisa averaged 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game this season for the Lady Falcons. On February 2, 2008 against Gallatin Valley, she scored a season-high 14 points. Foothills Community Christian School is a member of the Montana Christian Athletic Association.
"Lisa is a great fit for our University and our program. She is very quick, and she is a tremendous student. Lisa comes from a great family, and we are excited about her potential development," said Chaffin.
The Lady Argos are coming off a season in which they set the school record with 12 wins; that is 10 more wins than the previous season.