GREAT FALLS, Mont. - Lady Argo basketball was up just one after the first 20 minutes, but shot the lights out in the second to beat NCAA Division III Pacific University 68-52. Though not an NAIA game, the contest was not an exhibition and the win brings UGF's record to 10-2 (1-1) on the year. 
 
UGF shot 38 percent from the field in the first half and struggled with 12 turnovers, allowing the Boxers to keep it close and even take an occasional lead throughout the first two quarters. Senior Nneka Nnadi and junior Stephanie McDonagh accounted for 15 of the Lady Argo's 25 first half points as the teams went into the locker room up 25-24.
 
It looked a different team took the court for the second half. Motivated by the first half score being closer than they believed it should have been, UGF's players showed deeper intensity and more focused execution.
 
Two consecutive 3-pointers from senior Darah Huertas-Vining early in the third quarter, her first of the game, created the emotional spark UGF needed. Those six points were part of a 10-0 UGF run that took the lead from one point to 11.
 
After the lead grew to 14 points, the Boxers made an effort to close the gap and got as close as 45-39 with the first score of the fourth quarter. Six straight points for the Lady Argos got the difference back to double-digits and eventually worked the lead to 18 with two minutes left.
 
The final few minutes of the game turned into a sloppy, foul-laden affair that favored no one. A few field goals and a few free throws from McDonagh made sure that no last minutes comeback was in store, and the Lady Argos won by 16.
 
McDonagh finished with a game high of 24 points off 8-15 shooting and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals to her total. Her 24 points tied a career high in non-exhibition games. She scored the same total against The Evergreen State College on November 12, 2016, and scored 26 points in UGF's most recent game, an exhibition against Montana State – Billings.
 
Senior Darah Huertas-Vining was hot from three in the second half and finished with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 steals. The other leading scorer for UGF was Nnadi, who scored 14 points and was one of four Lady Argos with 2 steals.
 
On the night she was honored for breaking the program record for blocks in a career, senior center Whitney George added three more to bring her career total to 142. She entered the game ranked 6th in NAIA Division I in total blocks this season with 26.
 
The Lady Argos now have a 10-2 (1-1) record and have one more non-conference game before returning to Frontier Conference play for the rest of the season. That one game will be a home contest against the University of Calgary Dinos on December 28 at 2:00 p.m.