06/19/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., June 19, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of Aline Lino and Nataly Brambila to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Aline Lino is a 6’3” forward from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a graduate of Mangueira High School where she averaged 18.0 points and 13.0 rebounds per game as she led her team to the Rio de Janeiro League Championship. Lino is transferring to the University of Great Falls from Ohio Valley University (NCAA Division II) in West Virginia. Last season, she averaged 6.0 points and 4.0 rebounds per contest for the Lady Scots. Prior to playing at OVU, she played at Sheridan College in Sheridan, Wyoming and was a teammate of current Lady Argo Mckenzie Gentry and played a significant role for the 2008 sub-region champions. She will have one year of eligibility left at the University of Great Falls.
"Aline runs the floor very well and has the ability to finish with either hand," said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. "She is very long with a tremendous wing-span and should contribute on both ends of the court. I am very excited that Aline is joining us. Along with our earlier signing of Stasia (Holden), we should be one of the bigger teams in the Frontier Conference."
"The University of Great Falls showed a lot of interest in me and I appreciated that. Mckenzie (Gentry) told me great things about the University of Great Falls and I am really excited about next season. UGF will be a great place to play, to finish out my college career and to get my degree," said Lino.
Nataly Brambila will also be joining the women’s basketball team from Newbury Park, California where she led Newbury Park High School to a 22-6 record. The 5’8” guard is a defensive specialist who averaged 4.0 points, 3.0 assists, 4.0 rebounds along with 3.0 steals per game while earning Second Team All-Conference honors for the traditionally strong Maramonte League that features the high schools from Thousand Oaks, Ventura and Simi Valley areas.
"Nataly has a lot of upside," said Chaffin. "In high school she was a shutdown defender and when she was here (for her visit), her skills were very evident. But I am excited that her best offensive days are ahead of her. Nataly has worked very hard this offseason on her perimeter shot. With her work ethic, I believe that Nataly has a very high ceiling as a player and a member of our campus community."
"I am thankful for the opportunity that Coach Chaffin and the University of Great Falls has given me, not only to get an education but also to have the chance to be part of the Argo basketball family. I am looking forward to becoming an asset to my team and being an active member of the community," said Brambila.
06/02/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., June 2, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of Kristy Henderson and Christina Brennan to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Kristy Henderson is a 5'8' guard from Northeast Junior College in Sterling, Colorado where she scored a season high of 25 points in a 75-68 victory over Casper College. The Denver, Colorado native helped lead her team in the Region IX basketball tournament as she scored 23 points in a 70-66 semifinal win over Western Nebraska and a 17 points in a 73-67 win over Miles Community College (Miles City, MT). On the season, Kristy averaged 13.7 points and 2.7 assists per contest while leading the conference in steals at five per game. She plans on majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Communications at the University of Great Falls when she enrolls in the fall.
Christina Brennan, Henderson's teammate at Northeast Junior College, will also be joining the Argos women's basketball program. The 5'10" forward from Colorado Springs, Colorado added 21 points in a 84-65 win against Yavapai College (AZ). She averaged 6.5 points and 4.0 rebounds per game for the Plainswomen this past season. In high school, Brennan averaged 15 points per game while earning First Team All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-State honors in leading Widefield High to the Southern County Championship. Christina plans on majorining in Math at the University of Great Falls.
Henderson and Brennan join their former teammate at NJC, Shorty Ramos at the Univeristy of Great Falls where the trio led the Plainswomen to a 30-2 record for the #8 Junior College team in the country and a runner-up finish at the Region IX tournament in Norfolk, Nebraska.
"We are thrilled that both Kristy and Christina have decided to join our program," said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. "These two players will make a major impact for our program. Kristy was one of the top scoring guards in Region IX and had some Division I opportunities, and Christina's numbers do not do her justice as she suffered a shoulder injury that affected her output for the last two months of the season. Kristy and Christina are both tough minded physical players who come from winning programs with different strengths. Christina can really stretch the floor with her three point shot and has good footwork and good upper body strength to post up smaller guards. Kristy is electric off the dribble and has worked hard to improve her three point shot as evidenced by hitting two big three's against Western Nebraska ."
"I visited several schools but my visit to Great Falls made me feel so comfortable and at peace that it was hard to reject. I am really blessed to have signed with the program and I am excited for the upcoming season," said Henderson.
"I am definitely excited that I am continuing my basketball career at the University of Great Falls," said Brennan. "I can't wait to start playing with my new teammates but also I am really glad Kristy and Shorty will be with me so we can continue our success together."
05/12/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., May 12, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of two more student-athletes to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Chloe Bartel will be joining the University of Great Falls from Chico High School in Chico, California. The 5’7” guard led her team to a 20-9 record including a state playoff appearance this season. Chloe was known as a defensive specialist for the past three seasons as she was selected as the defensive player of the year while averaging 8.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 3.0 assists per game. During her junior and senior seasons, her teams were Section runners up and Section champions during her sophomore season. Chloe plans on majoring in business management while at the University of Great Falls.
“Chloe is a high character player with a tremendous basketball smarts,” said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. “She is the type of student-athlete that we are looking for. She is a great student and has been taking college courses while in high school. Chloe had a great visit in January and we are thrilled that she is joining our program.”
“I am looking forward to becoming a part of the University of Great Falls women’s basketball program and helping them to a league championship. Go Argo’s,” said Bartel.
Shannon Gertz, a 5’11” forward from Rocky Mountain High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, has also signed with the women’s basketball team. The Colorado standout has averaged 7.2 points, 4.5 rebounds, and had 23 assists this past season for her team. She also received the team’s Athletic Senior Recognition Award that recognizes athletic, academic and civic excellence.Shannon will major in Health and Human Performance at the University of Great Falls.
“Shannon had a great visit this spring and showed flashes of her capabilities with us,” said Chaffin. “She is very athletic and has a very high ceiling for development. She is also a high character student-athlete that will contribute to our campus.”
“Advancing to the next level with the University of Great Falls is an opportunity that I am looking forward to,” said Gertz. “While practicing with the girls during my visit (to UGF), I felt I connected well with their playing style. I am determined to make a positive impact and become a strong asset to the team. I am looking forward to a great basketball season and freshman year.”
04/29/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., April 29, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of Andrea "Shorty" Ramos to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Andrea is a 5'6" point guard from Cedaredge, Colorado. She will be transferring to the University of Great Falls from Northeast Junior College in Sterling, Colorado. During her junior and senior years in high school, Ramos was a Western Slope League All-Conference selection as well as an All-State selection during her senior season where she averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds per game including a 24 points against Roaring Forks High School. Andrea helped lead her team to the State Tournament Round of 16 during all four years of high school including a third place finish in her senior year. In addition to basketball, she also participated in track and qualified for the state meet all four years and placed during three of her years in the sprints.
She enjoyed a solid freshman season at Northeast Junior College and led them to the Region IX South Championship. During this past season, she had to redshirt to due an injury so she will have three seasons of eligibility for the University of Great Falls.
“We are excited that Shorty is joining us. She is a high motor kid who can really get to the rim and create problems,” said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. “Shorty is an outstanding defender and has tremendous court vision. She is a student-athlete of high character who has worked very hard to get back on the court.”
“I am very excited to play at the University of Great Falls next year,” said Ramos. “I'm so anxious and excited to get back out on the court again after having to take a medical redshirt this year! I really think my speed and jumping abilities will help the team out. I love to play defense and my favorite thing to do is to out-rebound the big girls. I can't wait to get up to Montana and play with my new teammates.”
04/20/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., April 20, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of Chelsea Adams to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Chelsea Adams is a 5'8" point guard from Centaurus High School in Lafayette, Colorado. Adams was a first team All-Conference selection, an honorable mention on the All-Region team, and made the Denver Post's Honorable Mention All-State team as she averaged 10.5 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game as a senior. She helped lead her team to a 22-3 record this season as they advanced to the Sweet 16 of the state tournament. Prior to this season, Chelsea was listed in ESPN Rise magazine's high school players to watch and was also named to the McDonald's All-American teams as an honorable mention selection after this past season.
“We are thrilled that Chelsea is joining our program next year,” said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. “She was one of the best pure point guards in the state of Colorado this year, and she will fit in quite well with our young nucleus. Chelsea had a great visit in February and we are excited that she has chosen to become a Lady Argo.”
“I am so pumped to have the chance to see how far I can push myself at the next level,” said Adams. “I hope I will be able to have an immediate impact with the team. I am very thankful for having the opportunity to play at the University of Great Falls next year and I am very happy about having the chance to play another year of basketball.”
She plans on preparing for a career in athletic training while attending the University of Great Falls.
04/13/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., April 13, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of Josi Herron and Katie Wright to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Josi Herron is a 5'6" guard from Big Sandy High School in Big Sandy, Montana where she averaged 12 points and 5 rebounds per game for the Lady Pioneers this past season. She also connected on 40% of her three-point field goals. In a game against Box Elder in December, she connected on a career-high 8 three-point field goals. Herron was also a District 9C All-Conference selection and a member of three state tournament teams. Josi plans on majoring in Physical Therapy pre-professional program at the University of Great Falls when she enrolls in the fall.
"Josi is an extremely competitive student-athlete who practices hard every day and works to make everyone on her team a better player," said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. "Josi can really shoot the three (pointer) and has worked to improve all facets of her game."
"I am really excited to have the opportunity to attend the University of Great Falls and continue my basketball as a Lady Argo," said Herron.
Katie Wright has also signed with Argo women's basketball team. She is a 5'11" forward from Cedaredge, Colorado who is transferring to the University of Great Falls from Hannibal-La Grange College where she just completed her sophomore season. In high school, Katie was a Western Slope League All-Conference selection where she helped lead her undefeated team to a third place finish at the state tournament. She scored 20 points and pulled down 8 boards during the District tournament championship game. While at Hannibal-La Grange College, she averaged 6 points per game in both seasons and was an Academic All-Conference selection in the American Midwest Conference. During her freshman season against national tournament participant Harris-Stowe, she scored a season high 13 points and this year she added 8 points and grabbed 8 rebounds against Bethel College (TN).
"We are excited that Katie will be joining us. She is a great teammate and the type of student-athlete that all programs like and need to have to be successful," said Chaffin. "Her statistics do not do her justice. She does all of the little things that don't show up in the box score."
"I believe my strength on offense is to be a team player, rebound, set good screens and give my teammates the opportunity to score," said Wright. "My strength is my defense and I enjoy the intensity that it brings to the floor, and I love being able to use my speed to break up the opponents transition. I am excited to be apart of the Lady Argos basketball team!"
04/08/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., April 8, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of Stasia Holden to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letter of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Stasia Holden is a 6'4" center from Los Angeles, California who is transferring to the University of Great Falls from Cumberlands University in Lebanon, Tennessee. Before missing 12 games due to an injury, Holden scored a season-high 11 points and grabbed 8 rebounds against NCAA Division I Tennessee State University. During her prep career at Birmingham High School in Los Angeles, she was named to the All-City First Team during her senior season in 2006 where she averaged 13.3 points, 11.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game.
Stasia also played two seasons of basketball at Frank Phillips Junior College in Borger, Texas where she averaged 9 points and 8 boards per contest. The California native scored 18 points and blocked 13 shots including the game-winning basket against nationally ranked Midlands College.
“We are really excited about Stasia joining us next season,” said University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin. “She totally changes the complexion of our team on both ends of the floor. Stasia is a tremendous shot blocker, has good footwork in the post and keeps the ball high when she catches in the post. She has a nice range on her jump shot and is an outstanding offensive rebounder. Stasia is also extremely coachable and she has played against some of the best post players in the country in her previous stops.”
“I am looking forward to a fresh start with the University of Great Falls and I am excited to see what opportunities present themselves in the upcoming season,” said Holden. “I believe I will fit in well with the returning players and we will work hard to improve our game and give the University (of Great Falls) a team that they can be proud of.”
03/24/2009
GREAT FALLS, Mont., March 24, 2009 —University of Great Falls women’s basketball coach Shawn Chaffin has announced the signing of two athletes to NAIA/Frontier Conference Letters of Intent for the upcoming 2009-2010 season.
Kara Matoon is from Shelby High School in Shelby, Montana. The 5’9” forward averaged 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.6 steals per game for the Lady Coyotes. Kara was an All-Conference selection during her freshman, junior and senior seasons and earned Academic All-State honors as a freshman and senior. In addition, she was also the Defensive Player of the Year this season. Matoon also holds career records at Shelby High School in the most field goals made, assists in a single game as well as the career rebounding record. She plans to major in Criminal Justice and is the daughter of David and Donna Matoon.
“Kara is a strong, physical player who plays bigger than her size,” said Chaffin. “She is quick around the basket and a tenacious defender.”
Lyndsey Tietjen has also signed with Argo women’s basketball team. She is a 5’10” shooting guard from Bishop Kelly High School in Boise, Idaho. She helped lead her high school team this season to a 17-5 record. She plans to prepare herself for a career in sports medicine at the University of Great Falls. She is the daughter of Jan and Cynthia Tietjen.
“Lyndsey is a tremendous three-point shooter who can flourish in a spread court situation. She comes from a very strong program and is a winner in every aspect of the word,” said Chaffin.
03/04/2009
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – March 4, 2009 – The Westminster College Lady Griffins cruised to an 83-66 win over the University of Great Falls during the first round of the Frontier Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday night in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The University of Great Falls took an early 4-2 lead as Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) scored on a lay-up during the first three minutes of the contest. Westminster College would regain control as Keshia Catten knocked down a long distance trey to give the Griffins a 5-4 lead on their next possession. Westminster’s Dani Evans capped off a 7-2 run off a jumper in the paint to give the Griffins a six point lead (12-6) with 13:41 left. Great Falls’ Mary Eisen (SR, Ephrata, WA) cut the Argo deficit to 3 points (9-12) a few possessions later. After the Griffins went on a 7-0 run, Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) added a basket for the Argos with 10:00 minutes remaining. Westminster College would increase their lead to 12 (29-17). Jocelyn Moore would score the final six points of the half including a lay-up as time expired in the half to trim the deficit to 35-29. Moore and Kassie Holmlund each led Great Falls with 8 points apiece in the first half. Dani Evans scored 11 of the Griffins 35 total points. The Argos out-rebounded the Griffins 24-21 including 19 rebounds on the defensive end. Westminster struggled at the free throw line in the first half as they were 1-for-7 while the Argos connected on 6-for-8 from the charity stripe.
After Keshia Catten scored on a lay-up in the first minute of the second half, Mckenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) answered with a lay-up as Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) was able to steal the ball from Westminster. D.J. Ellis (FR, Blackfoot, ID) converted a three point play for the Argos after she was fouled by Keshia Catten to bring the University of Great Falls to within 4 points (40-36) at the 15:24 mark. During the next three minutes of play, the Griffins would score 10 unanswered points before Marissa Francis’ lay-up for Great Falls ended the run. The Griffins would never relinquish their lead and led by as many as 25 points (68-43) with just over seven minutes to go. Mary Eisen (SR, Ephrata, WA) scored the final four points for the Argos with under 1:00 minute remaining as the University of Great Falls closes out their season.
Westminster out-scored the Argos 48-37 in the second half and scored 28 points off Argo turnovers. The University of Great Falls out-rebounded the Griffins 42-39. Both teams scored 36 points in the paint. The Argos maintained a slim lead in field goal percentage (44% to 41%).
Jocelyn Moore closed out her career for the Argos with 12 points and 8 rebounds on 5-for-13 from the field. Kassie Holmlund finished the contest with 10 points.
Dani Evans led five Griffins in double figures with 19 points including 4-for-6 from behind the arc. Elisa Leader added 12 points followed by 11 points apiece from McKenzie Jessop and Shannon Evans.
The University of Great Falls finished up their 2008-2009 season with a 1-13 conference record and a 7-23 overall record while the Lady Griffins remain undefeated in league play and have an overall record of 25-5 going into the semifinals on Friday night against Montana Western.
02/28/2009
BILLINGS, MT – February 28, 2009 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team kept the game close in the opening seven minutes but could not keep up with Rocky’s offense and fell 86-44 in the regular season finale for both teams in the Fortin Center.
Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) added a field goal to begin the contest for the University of Great Falls in the first half. On the following possession, Rocky’s Emmelie Lundgren tied it at 2-2 at the 18:00 mark. A few minutes later after a turnover by Rocky, Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) knocked down a trey from behind the arc to give Great Falls a 7-4 advantage. Liz Lewis’ three point field goal from a pass by Molly Schenderline tied the contest 11-11 with 14:23 left on the clock. Rocky Mountain College would then go on a 13-0 run over the next three minutes highlighted by four points from Janie Rayback. D.J. Ellis (FR, Blackfoot, ID) would break Rocky’s run with a jump-shot to cut the deficit to 13-24 with 11:08 remaining. Emmelie Lundgren would give Rocky their biggest lead of the contest (32-15) on a basket in the paint with under 10:00 minutes left. The Bears would finish out the half by scoring 17 of the next 25 points in the half. Rocky took a 49-23 advantage heading into the second half.
Janie Rayback led all scorers with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting for the Bears while Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) led Great Falls with six points as she connected on all three of her field goal attempts. Rocky scored 24 of their first half points from behind the arc and held the University of Great Falls to 1-for-8. Both schools ended the half with 10 turnovers apiece.
Janie Rayback scored the first four points of the second half before the Argos would get on the scoreboard. Jocelyn Moore connected on a basket for the Argos with 17:21 to give the Argos their first field goal of the second half. The Argos trailed 53-25 at that point. The Bears would then go a 9-2 run as a pair of free throws by D.J. Ellis stopped Rocky momentarily but the Argos could not find a way to halt the offense of the Bears over the final ten minutes of the contest. Marissa Francis scored the final basket of the evening for Great Falls with just over a minute remaining. Great Falls managed to score 21 points in the final half as both teams had over 20 turnovers.
Rocky managed to shoot 48% from the field while holding the Argos to 33%. The Bears also had twice as many rebounds (45-20) as the University of Great Falls including 28 on the defensive end. Both teams would combine for 22 steals in the final regular season contest.
Rocky held all scorers for the University of Great Falls to under 10 points. Jocelyn Moore paced Great Falls with 8 points and 5 boards on 4-for-5 from the field. Kassie Holmlund added 7 points and dished out 3 assists.
Janie Rayback scored 8 points in the second half to finish as the leading scorer for the Bears with 21. Molly Schenderline added 14 points on 5-for-6 shooting while Emmelie Lundgren and Liz Lewis each finished with 12 points apiece.
The Argos finished the regular season with an overall record of 7-22 while Rocky Mountain College finished with a 15-14 overall record.
The Argos will be participating in the 2009 Frontier Conference Basketball Tournament that is slated for Wednesday, March 4, 2009. They will be heading to Salt Lake City, UT as the #8 seed to face the undefeated #1 seed Westminster College Lady Griffins beginning at 7:00PM.
02/26/2009
HELENA, MT – February 26, 2009 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team could not get their offense going in either half as Carroll College defeated the Argos 72-40 at the Carroll P.E. Center in the second to last game of the regular season for both teams.
Carroll’s Elly Bruursema’s three point basket gave the Saints a 5-3 lead with 16 minutes remaining in the first half before Nikki Mills and a jumper by Bruursema extended the lead for Carroll to 9-3. Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) scored an easy lay-up for Great Falls to cut their deficit to 9-5. Three Carroll athletes would score the game’s next 21 points as ten ofthose points came off fast break opportunitiesfor the Saints. The Saints held a 45-14 advantage at the break. Carroll connected on 43% of their field goals while the Argos were 5-for-23 (22%) and 50% from the charity stripe during the first twenty minutes of action.
In the second half, the Argo women made some adjustments as Carroll out-scored the Argos 27-26. During a four minute stretch, the Argos went on a 13-0 run. Great Falls received great looks throughout the night but could not capitalize on some easy lay-ins and short jumpers that they needed to. The Argo bench provided a spark for the University of Great Falls by scoring 23 of the 40 points. Great Falls accounted for 23 turnovers and were out-rebounded 44-33. For the contest, the Saints made 38% of their attempts while holding the Argos to 27%.
Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) led Great Falls with 8 points on 4-for-6 from the field and Kassie Holmlund tossed in 7 points. D.J. Ellis (FR, Blackfoot, ID) and Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) came off the bench to combine for 13 points. Ellis also led the team with 6 boards.
Elly Bruursema, Alysha Green, and Amy Allen combined for 42 points for the Saints. Green scored 12 of her 14 total points behind the arc while Bruursema added 3 steals.
Back in January, Great Falls downed the Saints78-74 at the McLaughlin Center.
The Argos are now 1-12 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-21 while Carroll College improves to 4-9 in conference with an overall record of 15-14.
02/21/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – February 21, 2009 – Montana Western led 50-28 at halftime and defeated the University of Great Falls 76-60 on Senior Night at the UGF McLaughlin Center on Saturday night.
Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) and Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) opened up the scoring with a pair of field goals as the Argos took a 4-2 lead in the first minute of the contest. Montana Western’s offense took over and went on a 12-0 run that lasted four minutes as Chloe Mosey and Genna Rucker scored four points apiece during the run for the Bulldogs. McKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) would knock down a jump-shot from behind the arc to pull the Argos to within 7 points (7-14). Stephanie Dana’s basket from Kristen Luedtke stretched Montana Western’s lead to ten points (22-12) at the midway point of the first half. Montana Western kept their lead throughout the rest of the half in double digits. Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) scored on a lay-up at the end of the half from a pass by Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) for the Argos as they ended the half trailing 28-50. Kirilynn Winkler led the Argos in scoring with 8 points on 4-for-5 shooting while Chloe Mosey added 12 points for Montana Western and 7 rebounds. Both teams had 7 first-half turnovers.
Leslie Saunders and Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) each made field goals in the paint to open up the second half. Both teams traded baskets on their next few possessions as the Bulldogs would lead by as many as 24 points in the first 5:30 minutes of the second half. Great Falls would cut the lead to nine points (52-61) at the 8:30 mark as Keyla Briese (JR, Chester, MT) connected on a three point trey at the top of the key. Montana Western would close out the contest on a 15-8 run.
The Argo women out-scored the Bulldogs 32-26 and held a 45-24 advantage in bench scoring. The Bulldogs had 12 more rebounds than the Argos (44-32). The University of Great Falls was held to 35% from the floor while the Bulldogs shot 43%.
Kirilynn Winkler had one of her best performances of the season for Great Falls and finished with 17 points on 8-for-9 from the field while Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) picked up 7 boards.
Chloe Mosey led the charge for the Bulldogs with 18 points and 11 rebounds on 5-for-11 shooting.
The Argos are now 1-11 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-20 while Montana Western goes to 3-10 in conference with an overall record of 7-20
02/20/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – February 20, 2009 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team fell 67-48 in their home contest against Montana Tech on Friday night after being down by four points at halftime.
The Argo women found themselves down 8-2 in the opening three minutes of their battle with Montana Tech. Lindsie Wilson scored back-to-back field goals for the Oredigger women. On the following possession, Great Falls’ Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) pulled the Argos to within four points (4-8). The Montana Tech offense went to work and went on a 9-0 run in the next 5:27 as three different Montana Tech players would put points on the board. Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) scored on three consecutive possessions for the Argos to help cut the deficit to 10-19 with 9:18 on the clock. Two minutes later, Ashley Stephen’s connected on back-to-back three point treys to bring the Argos to within four points (18-22). Before the end of the half, the Argos would tie the game at 24-24 as Mckenzie Gentry’s (JR, Pocatello, ID) field goal from Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) at the 3:33 mark of the first half. Lindsie Wilson and Jessie DePell would add baskets before the end of the half to give Montana Tech a 28-24 lead. Ashley Stephen’s led the Argos with 12 first half points on 5-for-6 from the field. Lindsie Wilson added 13 points and five boards after twenty minutes for Montana Tech. Neither team made it to the charity stripe with a combined 9 fouls. Both teams shot around 40% from the field in the half.
The Orediggers opened up the final half with a seven point lead (33-26) behind a long trey from Dani Peterson at the 16:22 mark. The Argos then went on an 8-3 run during the next three minutes as Kassie Holmlund, Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) each scored to cut the Oredigger lead to 36-34. Montana Tech would score 21 of the next 29 total points for both teams over the next nine minutes of action. After baskets by Kassie Holmlund and Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT), Montana Tech would end the game on a Janessa Todd jumper as time expired.
Montana Tech shot 45% in the game while holding the Argo offense to 33%. The Orediggers out-scored Great Falls 39-24 in the second half and ended the game with 38 rebounds.
Ashley Stephen’s had an excellent game by scoring 16 points and she connected on 60% of her field goals to lead the Argo offense while Kassie Holmlund finished with 12 points. Senior Jocelyn Moore pulled down 11 boards for Great Falls.
Three student-athletes from Montana Tech combined for 54 points as Lindsie Wilson led the way with 24 points and 10 rebounds while Jessie DePell added 20 and Jenessa Todd finished with 10 points.
The Argos are now 1-10 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-19 while Montana Tech goes to 4-8 in conference with an overall record of 7-15.
02/14/2009
HAVRE, MT – February 14, 2009 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team could not overcome a four point deficit at halftime and fell 66-48 to rival Montana State University – Northern at the Armory in Havre, MT on Saturday night.
The Argos and Skylights kept the contest close throughout the first half as Great Falls trailed 30-26 at halftime. In the second half, the Skylights offense executed when they needed to and slowly pulled away from the Argos. MSU-Northern opened up the final half with a huge run and out-scored the University of Great Falls 36-22 in the final twenty minutes of action.
The Skylights out-rebounded the Argos 43-30 in the contest with MSU-Northern’s Stacie Barker accounting for 14 boards while Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) led Great Falls with 6. The Argos converted just 31% of their field goals while MSU-Northern knocked down 46%. The Skylights scored 21 points from behind the arc as Taylor Keller and Sam Schermele combined for 15 points. Marissa Francis, Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT), MacKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) and Danielle Heny (JR, Powell, WY) each converted on their three point attempts for the University of Great Falls.
Both teams ended their Frontier Conference battle with 13 turnovers apiece.
Marissa Francis and MacKenzie Gentry combined for 22 points on 8-for-19 shooting.
MSU-Northern had three athletes in double figures led by Taylor Keller with 19 points followed by Stacie Barker (15) and Sam Schermele with 13.
The Argos are now 1-9 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-18 while MSU-Northern goes to 7-3 in conference with an overall record of 15-10.
02/07/2009
LEWISTON, ID – February 7, 2009 – The University of Great Falls women’s hoop team fell to Lewis-Clark State College 84-48 on Saturday night in Frontier Conference basketball action from the LCSC Activity Center.
Lewis-Clark’s Sadie Short and Alyssa Fierro put the Warriors on top 4-0 to begin the contest. MacKenzie Gentry's (JR, Pocatello, ID) field goal with 18:42 mark put the Argos on the scoreboard;Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) was credited with the assist. Lewis-Clark went on a 12-2 run capped off by a pair of free throws by Sadie Short. Great Falls’ Keyla Briese (JR, Chester, MT) knocked down a three pointer off a pass by Danielle Heny (JR, Powell, WY) at the 10:21 mark of the first half to cut the Argo deficit to 22-11. Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) scored on a pair of field goals in a two minute stretch and D.J. Ellis (FR, Blackfoot, ID) and Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) each added a pair of free throws to finish the half for the Argos. Lewis-Clark’s Kenna Reiter connected on a field goal to end the half for both teams with three seconds remaining. Lewis-Clark went into the locker room with a 40-23 lead. Alyssa Fierro scored 16 points on 7-for-11 from the floor for the Warriors and had 9 rebounds. The Argos were led by MacKenzie Gentry with six points in the first twenty minutes of action. The Warriors were able to connect on 58% from the field while holding the University of Great Falls to 21%.
A three point trey by MacKenzie Gentry and a basket by Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) helped the Argos begin the second half on a 5-0 run. Nikki DePeel ended the run by the Argos with a trey from long range to lift the Warriors to a 46-28 advantage with 18:13 to go. Jocelyn Moore scored on a pass by Kassie Holmlund and converted a three point play as she was fouled by LC State’s Alyssa Fierro a few possessions later. Kassie Holmlund’s jumper in the paint got the Argos to within 15 points (58-43) at the midway point of the second half. Lewis-Clark then went on a 12-3 run highlighted by a Jasmine Stohr jumper after getting the rebound from a missed basket by Kenna Reiter with under 6:00 minutes remaining. It would be nearly three minutes before the Argos would answer as Jocelyn Moore picked up her eighth and final point of the night for the University of Great Falls on a basket off a Danielle Heny pass with 2:53 left on the clock. Lewis-Clark State would end the contest with five straight points.
The Warriors out-rebounded the Argos 53-28 and had a 20-4 advantage in second chance points. Great Falls did gather 17 steals and two blocks. Great Falls was held to a 25% shooting percentage while the Warriors shot 55%.
Kassie Holmlund scored in double figures for Great Falls and finished with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting. Jocelyn Moore added 8 points and grabbed 7 boards.
Lewis-Clark State received 20 points and 14 rebounds from Alyssa Fierro while Sadie Short added 14 points and dished out 7 assists.
The Argos are now 1-8 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-17 while Lewis-Clark State goes to 6-3 in conference with an overall record of 16-6.
02/05/2009
SALT LAKE CITY, UT – February 5, 2009 – The #17 Westminster College Griffins proved why they are one of the best teams in the country as they defeated the University of Great Falls women’s basketball team 78-48 in a Frontier Conference contest at the Behnken Field House in Utah.
Shannon Evans gave the Griffins an early 5-0 lead on a pair of field goals with 18:32 remaining. Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) and Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) both scored from the free throw line for Great Falls to cut the deficit to 14-2. AKirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) jump-shot in the paint gave the Argos their first field goal of the contest at the 10:14 mark. Dani Evans helped the nationally ranked Griffins go on a 17-3 run as she scored 12 points in a row during a three minute stretch. Westminster College would lead by as many as 34 points (51-17) after one half of action. The Griffins held the Argos to five first half field goals while Westminster connected on 20-for-36 from the field. The Griffins scored 21 points from behind the arc. Both teams combined for 27 turnovers and just 8 second chance points. Dani Evans was 6-for-6 from the floor at the break and led her team with 17 points. Kassie Holmlund led Great Falls with 4 points.
A lay-up by Kassie Holmlund gave the Argos their first basket of the second half at the 16:55 mark. Michelle Pace added to the Griffin lead with a short jump shot and a free throw before Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) connected on a trey from behind the arc and Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) combined for five points on back-to-back possessions. Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) scored two field goals within a minute to cut the deficit for the University of Great Falls to 60-28 with just over 13:00 minutes to go. Both teams scored multiple times but Westminster led throughout the contest. Morgan Jorgenson (FR, Harrison, MT) closed out the game with a basket before time expired.
Westminster shot 47% from the field in the contest including 24 points from the three point line. The Westminster defense held the Argos to 33% on the night. Turnovers were a key to the outcome of this game as Great Falls committed 27 turnovers while Westminster turned the ball over 15 times. Westminster also had 22 steals on the night. Great Falls pulled down 40 rebounds for the game including 27 on the defensive side.
Ashley Stephen led the Argos with 8 points on 3-for-13 shooting while Kassie Holmlund and Marissa Francis each scored 6 points apiece. Francis and Kirilynn Winkler had two steals against the Griffins while Jocelyn Moore pulled down 8 boards.
Meanwhile, Dani Evans paced the Griffins with 20 points on 5-for-6 from the field and 3 steals. Alexis Tucker had a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
The Argos are now 1-7 in the conference and have an overall record of 7-16 while Westminster College improves to 8-0 in conference with an overall record of 18-5.
01/31/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 30, 2009 – The University of Great Falls led throughout the contest and held on at the end for a 78-74 conference victory over rival Carroll College on Saturday night in front of a packed crowd at the McLaughlin Center.
The Argos offense got going from the opening tip and they quickly scored eight unanswered points over Carroll College. Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) and Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) connected on back-to-back three pointers during the run. They held the Carroll College offense from scoring in the first 4:20 of the game. Elly Bruursema scored the first field goal for Carroll at the 15:02 mark. Kassie Holmlund’s trey from long distance gave the Argos their biggest lead of the contest at 13 (18-5) before Sara Meyer cut the Carroll deficit to 7 from a pass by Torrie Cahill with just under eight minutes left. The Saints would pull within six points (28-22) on a pair of Torrie Cahill free throws with 3:30 minutes on the clock. Great Falls would finish out the half on a 9-2 run with four different Argos scoring points. Sara Meyer answered before half-time with a pull up jumper with 0:23 seconds left. The University of Great Falls connected on 46% of the shots in the half and held the Saints to 33%. Carroll’s Sara Meyer and Great Falls’ Marissa Francis each led their teams with 10 points after twenty minutes of action.
The Argos started off the second half with a three point field goal by Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) and then Carroll College answered with long distance shot on the other end by Elly Bruursema. Both teams answered with baskets during the next few possessions. The Argos increased their lead to 18 with over twelve minutes remaining but Carroll’s offense would not let up as they cut their deficit to ten points (64-54) on a field goal from Amy Allen with 6:22 to go. Elly Bruursema’s jump-shot and three point trey with under a minute made the score 76-74 in favor of the Argo women with 0:11 seconds to go before a timeout by the Saints. A pair of free throws by Kassie Holmlund on the next possession clinched the victory for the Argos who won their first conference game of the season.
Great Falls shot consistently throughout both halves and ended the contest with 46% from the field. As a team, Great Falls scored 15 points from behind the arc. Carroll and Great Falls forced a total of 37 turnovers between them. The Argo victory came despite Carroll’s 50 second half points and 42 rebounds.
The Argos had nice offensive production from four student-athletes who scored in double figures. Marissa Francis capped off her night with 21 points and five steals on 7-for-13. Kassie Holmlund added 16 including 3-for-3 from behind the arc while Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) and Leslie Saunders combined for 31 points.
Meanwhile, Elly Bruursema went for 26 points and two steals to lead all scorers for the Saints. Sara Meyer ended her night with 20 markers and 7 boards.
The Argos improve on the season to 7-15 overall while the Saints go to 12-11. Great Falls and Carroll College are now each 1-6 in league play.
01/30/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 30, 2009 – The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team fell to Rocky Mountain College 91-66 on Friday night in a Frontier Conference match-up at the UGF McLaughlin Center.
Both teams traded baskets in the opening minutes of the first half as Great Falls took their first lead with a field goal by Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) to give the Argos a 7-5 advantage but Janie Rayback answered back for Rocky with a jump-shot of her own to tie in on Rocky’s next possession. The Argos were able to take a 17-13 lead on a pair of baskets by Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) and Kirilynn Winkler (SO, Great Falls, MT) with 12:47 on the clock. For the next seven minutes, both teams would remain close and neither team would have more than a three point advantage. Tana Stewart’s three point field goal lifted gave the Bears some momentum and increased their lead to 37-32 with 4:03 left in the half. Jocelyn Moore’s basket and free throw after she was fouled cut the deficit to two points (35-37) but a pair of field goals from Janie Rayback increased the lead to 42-35. Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) connected on her jump-shot to end the half with Rocky on top 44-37. Moore led Great Falls in the first half with 14 points and 5 boards. Rocky’s defense forced 12 Argo turnovers.
Rocky opened up the second half on an 8-2 run as Liz Lewis and Molly Schenderline each added a trey from behind the arc to increase the lead to 13 points in the first two minutes of the final half. Jocelyn Moore, Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) and Mackenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) kept the Argos in the contest over the next six minutes with 10 points. Kirilynn Winkler sliced the Great Falls deficit to 61-52 midway through the half. Rocky went on a 15-9 run capped off by a Janie Rayback field goal with 4:17 left and then finished the game by holding the Argos to two points as Kirilynn Winkler connected on a jump-shot with a few seconds remaining.
After shooting 64% from the field, Rocky finished the game by knocking down 35-of-62. Great Falls finished with 52%. Rocky was able to out-score the University of Great Falls 47-29 in the second half.
Three of the Bears scored in double figures led by Liz Lewis with 26 points and 10 assists while Janie Rayback and Tana Stewart combined for 45 points and 8 rebounds.
Jocelyn Moore put in 22 points for Great Falls and 9 boards on 10-for-12 from the field while Marissa Francis added 17 points on 5-for-7.
With the win, the Bears improve to 4-2 in league play and 10-11 overall while Great Falls has an overall record of 6-15 while they look for their first conference victory of the season.
01/24/2009
Tech women upend Argos 68-55
BUTTE, MT – January 24, 2009 – The Montana Tech women’s basketball team defeated the University of Great Falls 68-55 in Frontier Conference basketball action from Butte, MT on Saturday night.
Montana Tech opened up the contest on a 7-2 run and never trailed in the half. Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) scored the first seven points for the Argos as they trailed 15-7 early in the contest. Lindsie Wilson and Jessie DePell each scored nine points in the first half for the Orediggers to give them a 40-31 advantage after twenty minutes of action. Keyla Briese (JR, Chester, MT) finished the half on 3-for-4 from long distance for 9 points to lead the scoring for Great Falls. Montana Tech led by as many as 14 points (25-11) before the break. The Oredigger defense held the Argos to 32% shooting from the floor while they connected on 16-for-30. The Argos defense forced Montana Tech to 10 turnovers while committing only four.
Tabitha Tomlinson and Jessie DePell helped spark the offense for Montana Tech as they scored the first five points in the second half. Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) and Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) each made a pair of field goals to cut the deficit to 45-36. Both teams struggled offensively in the final half as Great Falls made only 33% of their field goal attempts in the contest and Tech finished the night with 47% from the field. Despite going to the free throw line only five times and committing 17 turnovers, the Orediggers were able to add to their halftime lead to pick up their second conference win of the season. Marissa Francis added 6 of Great Falls’ 11 steals on the night.
Lindsie Wilson and Tabitha Tomlinson combined for 29 points and dished out 6 assists apiece for the Orediggers. Jenessa Todd had a double-double with 12 points and 14 boards.
Marissa Francis and Kassie Holmlund each scored 13 points for the Argos on the night. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) pulled down 10 defensive rebounds along with 8 points.
With the win, the Orediggers improves to 2-4 in league play and 5-11 overall while Great Falls has an overall record of 6-14 while they look for their first conference victory of the season.
01/23/2009
DILLON, MT – January 23, 2009 – The University of Montana Western women’s basketball team topped the Argo women 57-41 on Friday night in a Frontier Conference contest from the Straugh Gym in Dillon, Montana.
The Argo women started the contest with a 7-0 lead behind baskets from Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) who scored the first four points for Great Falls and MacKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) who chipped in a three point field goal. The Bulldogs would charge back and tie the contest at 7-7 behind five points by Jamie Lake. Turnovers and missed opportunities for both teams kept the score tied until the 12:48 mark of the first half when Marissa Francis and Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) connected on field goals to give the Argos the lead back (11-7). Montana Western battled back and scored seven unanswered points including a three pointer from Heather Brooks with under 10:00 minutes remaining to lead by 3 (14-11). Montana Western made sure that Great Falls would not lead throughout the rest of the first half as they led 26-15 at the break. Both teams would combine for 26 turnovers in the half.
Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) opened up the second half by scoring her fifth point of the game on a field goal from behind the arc from a pass by Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) to cut the Argo deficit to 26-18. MacKenzie Gentry’s field goal lifted Great Falls to within 3 points (29-26) at the 16:05 mark. The Montana Western offense went on a 13-5 run over the next six minutes capped off by an Amanda Lidstrom three point field goal for the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs defense posed problems for the Argos offense as they held Great Falls to 8 points in the final nine minutes of the game. Kassie Holmlund and Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) along with Gentry scored the final points for the University of Great Falls.
The Bulldogs were 21-of-57 from the field while Great Falls was held to 15-for-60. Montana Western had a 51-36 advantage on the boards including 16 on the offensive side. The Argos went to the charity stripe 13 times and converted on 8 compared to a 9-for-16 effort by Bulldogs.
Amanda Lidstrom led all scorers with 14 points while Heather Brooks and Jamie Lake combined for 22 points for Montana Western. Lake and Genna Rucker also added 9 boards.
Kassie Holmlund and Jocelyn Moore each scored in double figures for Great Falls with 11 and 10 points, respectively. Moore also added 7 rebounds and 2 steals.
The Lady Argos are now 0-4 in the conference and 6-13 on the season while Montana Western improves to 2-3 in the conference and 6-13 overall.
01/16/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 16, 2009 – The MSU-Northern Skylights downed the University of Great Falls Argos 70-53 on Friday night at the McLaughlin Center as the second week of conference play ended for both women’s basketball teams.
Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) put the Argos ahead in the first minute of the game with a hook shot. Kaylee Shaw then answered for the Skylights as she fired back from long range to give MSU-Northern a 3-2 lead. Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) would tie the game at 5-5 with a three point field goal of her own. The Skylights would get their offense moving and go on an 11-2 run capped off by a Taylor Keller trey to make it 16-7 with 12:02 on the clock. In the first eight minutes of the contest, Marissa Francis and Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) along with Holmlund would account for Great Falls’ points. Stacie Barker scored four of her 10 first half points for MSU-Northern as the Skylights led by 8 (20-12). Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) came away with a steal on the defensive end for the Argos and took it all the way down the floor for an easy layup to cut the Argo deficit to 22-17 at the 8:00 mark. A McKenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) three and a basket by Holmlund ended the half with the Skylights out in front 42-29.
Taylor Keller opened up the scoring drive for MSU-Northern to begin the second half with a jumpshot. Ashley Stephen (SR, Spanaway, WA) scored on an assist by Kassie Holmlund for Great Falls followed by a three point play by Jocelyn Moore to give the Argos some momentum. Jennie Lee made back-to-back field goals for MSU-Northern to increase their lead to 58-42 with 12:20 remaining. The Argos followed up on the other end as Marissa Francis added one of her 3 steals and dribbled down court for the layup. Field goals by Ashley Stephen and Leslie Saunders with under 2:00 minutes in the game made it 50-67 but the Skylights would pick up the victory over the Argos.
Great Falls struggled from the field as they shot 34% from the field while the Skylights connected on 51%.
Stacie Barker led all Skylights with 16 points and 12 rebounds on 7-for-10 from the field along with four blocks. Taylor Keller and Danielle Trower combined for 26.
Jocelyn Moore and Kassie Holmlund led the way for the Argos with 14 points and 11 points, respectively. Moore was able to add 12 rebounds with seven of those coming from the defensive side.
The Lady Argos are now 0-3 in the conference and 6-12 on the seasonwhile MSU-Northern improves to 2-1 in the conference and 10-8 overall.
01/10/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 10, 2009 –The Westminster College Griffins pulled away from the Argos in the second half and posted an 84-72 victory at the McLaughlin Center on Saturday night.
Field goals by Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) and Mackenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) lifted Great Falls to a 5-2 lead in the opening minute of their game. The Argos would maintain their lead by no more than three points for the first seven and a half minutes before Westminster’s Alexis Tucker off a pass from Shannon Evans gave the Griffins their first lead of the contest (14-13). Throughout the next few minutes, both teams would trade baskets and the Griffins would lead by seven points as Shannon Evans connected on her first basket of the game at the 7:17 mark. Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) responded with a three point field goal of her own and after a missed shot at the other end by a Westminster player, Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) cut the deficit to one point with a basket and a foul (25-24). The Griffins ended the first half on a 10-5 run and led 35-29 at the break. Both teams ended the first half with 14 total rebounds. The Argos were shooting 36% from the field in the first half as both teams connected on 12 field goals. Marissa Francis had 10 points and 2 steals.
The University of Great Falls opened up the second half on an 8-2 run capped off by a Kassie Holmlund jumper to tie the game at 37-37. After a turnover by Westminster, the Argos took their first lead of the second half as Jocelyn Moore made her 12th point to give the Argos a 39-37 advantage. The Griffins would start to pull away from the Argos midway through the half as Dani Evans increased their lead to 10 points. A trey from behind the arc by Leslie Saunders cut the Argo deficit to 9 with 9:16 remaining but #21 Westminster College would not allow the Argos to get any closer than that the rest of the way.
Both teams shot around 50% in the final half and 65% for the game. One of the major differences in the second half was free throws as Westminster committed only 1 foul in the second half while the Argos committed 9. Westminster made 17 points off free throws in the contest while the Argos went to the charity stripe just three times.
A night after Kassie Holmlund scored 19 points against Lewis-Clark State, the junior guard followed up with 17 points on 7-for-10 from the field for the Argos. Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA) added a double-double with 18 points and 10 boards. Leslie Saunders added 13 points and dished out 7 assists.
Westminster had four players in double figures as Alexis Tucker and Shannon Evans each finished the night with 16 points while Suzanne Young and Dani Evans combined for 23 points.
The Lady Argos are now 0-2 in the conference and 6-11 on the seasonwhile Westminster College improves to 2-0 in the conference and 12-5 overall.
01/09/2009
GREAT FALLS, MT – January 9, 2009 –The University of Great Falls women’s basketball team kept up with #11 Lewis-Clark State for the first 32 minutes of action before falling 83-66 on Friday night in the Frontier Conference season opener for both teams.
The Argo women started with a 5-2 lead at the beginning of the contest behind baskets by Leslie Saunders (FR, Bozeman, MT) and a long range jumpshot by Kassie Holmlund (JR, Great Falls, MT) from behind the arc but Jasmine Stohr connected on a three point basket on the Warriors next possession to tie it up. Great Falls would go on an 8-0 run with 13:08 left as four different Argos would score including Jocelyn Moore (SR, Graham, WA), Marissa Francis (SO, Great Falls, MT) and Kassie Holmlund. Both teams would stay within a few points as the Warriors would lead by as many as six points (25-19) as Nikki DePeel would make a field goal from long range. The lead would be short-lived for Lewis-Clark State as Great Falls would control and lead 39-37 at halftime. Kassie Holmlund finished the first half with 16 points and 3 assists on 5-for-7 shooting. Alyssa Fierro and Kim Preston added 9 points apiece for LC State.
A Marissa Francis jumper gave the University of Great Falls a 43-39 advantage but back-to-back baskets by Kenna Reiter and Jasmine Stohr put the Warriors back on top (44-43) for a possession but Great Falls’ Mackenzie Gentry (JR, Pocatello, ID) knocked down a trey from long range to give Great Falls back the lead. Lewis-Clark State would start to pull away for good as Nikki DePeel knocked down two three-point field goals and the eleventh ranked team in the NAIA would go on to win their ninth straight contest. The Warriors outscored Great Falls 26-13 in the final 11 minutes of the contest.
The Argos shot 50% in the first half but only 39% in the second half. The Warriors were able to make 28-of-62 (45%) from the field. Rebounding played a key factor in the game as the Warriors out-rebounded the Argos 45-32.
Nikki DePeel paced LC State with 22 points as she connected on all five of her three point field goals while three others combined for 38 points. After scoring 16 first half points, Kassie Holmlund was held to just 3 points in the second and finished with 19 and 5 assists. Leslie Saunders also added 19 on 7-for-12 shooting.
The Lady Argos are now 0-1 in the conference and 6-10 on the season while Lewis-Clark State College improves to 1-0 in the conference and 11-3 overall.
01/08/2009
LEWISTON, ID — January 8, 2009 — The University of Great Falls hoop team did more than just play basketball when they were in Lewiston, ID for the Wells Fargo Invitational basketball tournament on December 12th and 13th. The Argo women took time out of their busy schedule playing basketball to help the Webster Elementary first and second graders with their reading program. While they were at the school, they also did a group talk with sixth graders about sportsmanship and life values and then joined them for a pizza party.
University of Great Falls women's basketball coach Shawn Chaffin worked with Webster Elementary Principal Craig Lenzmeier to organize this event for the kids. Chaffin said that Craig (Lenzmeier) and the teachers were extremely helpful in setting up the reading groups and the Argos are planning on making this an annual event.
“I was really proud of how our student-athletes interacted with the children in these classrooms. They really got into working with their groups, and I feel like it was definitely a mutually-beneficial experience for both our players and for the young students in the groups," said Chaffin. "Our student-athletes at the University of Great Falls are committed to excellence in the classroom, on the court, and in the community.”
"Overall, the visit to the elementary school was great. It was exciting and motivating to be able to see how much younger kids look up to college athletes. It was an awesome experience and I enjoyed being able to share what I have learned as a college athlete," said UGF women's basketball student-athlete Kassie Holmlund.
"Webster Elementary School was honored to host Coach Shawn Chaffin and the women's basketball team from the University of Great Falls. The University should be very proud of the outstanding young women that represent your institution," said Principal Craig Lenzmeier. "They are great positive role models and our students were able to see what true student athletes are. It is obvious that there is a mutual respect between the coaches and the players. The Webster Tigers look forward to them returning in the future."
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.