GREAT FALLS, Mont. – A big disparity in rebounds and free throws meant a big disparity in points for (13) University of Great Falls women's basketball against (11) MSU-Northern. The Lady Argos were cold out of the gate and never recovered, losing 61-47.
The Skylights out rebounded UGF 44-35 including 13 offensive rebounds and made it to the free-throw line 16 times to the Lady Argo's 4 total free-throw attempts.
Two early offensive foul calls on UGF's starting center,
Whitney George was a rough start for the team, giving the Skylights the chance to take an early lead and sending on of the nation's leading shot blockers to the bench for most of the first half.
Compounding the early foul trouble was a cold shooting streak for the Lady Argos and a barrage of made 3-pointers for MSUN. UGF shot 30 percent from the field in the first two quarters and made just one shot from long range, while the Skylights shot 53 percent from three.
Those factors were overwhelming, leading to a 23-9 second quarter score in favor of Northern.
Trailing by 15 points at the half, UGF needed a strong effort to start the third quarter, but too many missed shots and too many offensive rebounds for the Lights kept that from happening.
In the fourth quarter, the Lady Argos finally found some luck from the 3-point arc. Senior guard Darah Huertes-Vining hit two threes, and junior guard
Molly Herron hit another, but that could only bring the score to within 10 points.
While Huertes-Vining's threes helped late, it was junior guard
Stephanie McDonagh who carried the Lady Argos throughout the game. She had 8 points and 7 rebounds at the half and finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, 3 steals, 1 assists and 1 block. It was McDonagh's third double-double of the season.
The loss drops UGF's record to 11-3 and leaves the team still winless in Frontier Conference play with a conference record of 0-3. Things won't get any easier either, with the team's next game coming against (25) Carroll College in Helena, Montana at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, January 6.
