GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence women's basketball team tied the second largest margin of victory in program history with an 89-29 win over Yellowstone Christian College in which 11 different Lady Argos scored. UP's 60-point margin was the largest since February 2008, when the Lady Argos beat Walla Walla University by 60.
 
"I really like the fact that we followed the game plan. Our girls got up and pressured and did the things we wanted them to do," Head Coach Bill Himmelberg said. "We communicated well and I thought we got better tonight."
 
Once again, the freshman class stole the show, accounting for 66 percent of the team's scoring including all four of the team's double-digit scorers. Those four were forward Parker Esary with 18 points, point guard Emilee Maldonado with 13, point guard Kerstyn Pimperton with 12, and forward Elly Teske with 10.
 
While those freshmen put up good scoring numbers, it was UP's defense that was most impressive. The Lady Argos held the Centurions to just 1 field goal and no free throws in the first quarter.
 
Compounding the problems for YCC was some sharpshooting from the Lady Argo guards. UP went 5-6 from 3-point range including 2 threes from Maldonado. That stellar defensive effort helped UP get out to a 26-2 lead and the team never looked back.
 
"We came out hard and we didn't take anything lightly. It's still a work in progress but we're getting better game by game," Maldonado said. "Coming out and playing with these girls has just been really enjoyable."
 
Maldonado led the Lady Argos in scoring through the first half with 9 points including 3-4 shooting from distance. She finished with 13 points, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds.
 
With the score out of hand early, Maldonado played sparing minutes in the second half was instead spelled by freshman Kerstyn Pimperton who picked up where Maldonado left off. The Belt, Montana native when 2-4 from three and finished the game with 12 points, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
 
Esary continued to not only score in bunches with a  team leading  18 points but to do so staggering efficiency. She went 6-7 from the floor and made all 6 of her free throws. She is averaging 20 points per game while shooting 71.4 percent from the field and going a perfect 10-10 from the free-throw line.
 
Senior guard Stephanie McDonagh, who led UP in points, steals, assists, and rebounds in  2016-17,  settled in as a secondary scoring option to the talented freshman but led the team with 7 assists and 4 steals. She also added 7 points and 6 rebounds on 3-5 shooting for a balanced stat line.
 
All 12 healthy players on the UP roster saw 7 or more minutes on the court, and 11 of those players scored on a made shot from the field.
 
The Lady Argos move to 2-0 on the season and are averaging 86.5 ppg as a team with a combined margin of victory of 77 points. Next for UP will be its first NAIA opponent of the year, Dickinson State University who the team will host at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 28.