GREAT FALLS, Mont. - In the off-season, University of Providence Head Women's Basketball Coach Bill Himmelberg touted the 2017 Recruiting Class as the best in program history. The class has only played one game, it was a great start, as the freshman class accounted for 50 percent of the team's scoring in an 84-67 win over the University of Lethbridge to open the season. 
 
"We had a lot of different girls who can do a lot of different things. We have a lot of people who can be our leading scorer on any given night," Head Coach Bill Himmelberg said. "There's a lot of  firepower  out there for us."
 
Lethbridge was scheduled as a  season opening  game that should be a confident win for the Lady Argos, but the first quarter was a battle. Highly touted freshman Parker Esary carried UP in the period, scoring 8 points, including the team's first 2 buckets.
 
She was complimented well by sophomore guard Jenna Randich with scored 7 in the quarter to help UP to a 5 point lead at the quarter break.
 
The Lady Argos found a groove in the second period and dominated the Pronghorns until backups took the floor in the fourth quarter. UP shot 50 percent in the second quarter, including 3-5 from 3-point range.
 
A distinct rebounding advantage for the Lady Argos was a huge asset. The Lady Argos out-rebounded Lethbridge 53-36 in the game and scored 12 second-chance points in the first half to the Pronghorn's 5.
 
Parker Esary lived up to some significant hype, dominating the paint on offense with strength and an uncanny ability to finish at the rim. She led all scorers with 22 points in her first collegiate game, shooting 64 percent from the floor, averaging 1 point for every minute she played and grabbing 5 rebounds. 
 
"She is a beast in there. She is so strong, she had great hands, she can finish, and no one is going to push her around down in the paint," Himmelberg said. "We didn't play her a lot of minutes tonight, she can play a lot more than that."
 
In the backcourt, freshman Emilee Maldonado started at point guard and was just as impressive. She was deadly from long range, hitting 4-8 from three, and distributed the ball well with a  team leading  7 assists. 
 
"Man, how special was she tonight?" Himmelberg said. "I'm really proud of her. She took care of the basketball, got us into our offense, and then when we needed it she knocked down some threes. She's a special player."
 
Redshirt-senior Kallee Wilson played the best game of her career, getting her first career double-double with 10 points and a  career high  12 rebounds. Before leaving the game with an injury, sophomore guard Jenna Randich was on pace to break her career scoring mark of 19 points. She finished with 17 points, including shooting a perfect 3-3 from distance. 
 
UP's best player in 2016-17, senior guard Stephanie McDonagh, led the team in scoring, rebounding, assists, and steals as a junior. With so many teammates playing well, she didn't need the type of heroic effort that became commonplace for her last year. That being said, she still finished with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, and a  team leading  3 steals in 26 minutes of play.
 
The Lady Argo's next game will also be at home, a 5:30 p.m. contest against Yellowstone Christian College on October 27.