HELENA, Mont. – A strong first quarter of balanced scoring and stifling defense quickly wore off for (19) University of Providence women's basketball as (13) Carroll College looked better and better as the night went on, beating the Lady Argos 59-47. UP led by 7 points after the first ten minutes, shooting over 60 percent in the period, but the team's shooting got increasingly worse with each quarter.
 
Play couldn't have gone much better for the Lady Argos in the first 10 minutes. UP led for almost the entire period while shooting 61 percent floor despite no player scoring more than 5 points in the period. The offensive success was mostly due to some quick passing that exposed a weak point in the CC zone.
 
Things just as well on the defensive end, with UP holding the Saints to just 4-11 shooting and only 2 free throw attempts. The Lady Argos also forced Carroll into 4 turnovers, while turning it over 4 times themselves, a low number considering the team's past troubles taking care of the ball.
 
All of those positive statistics flipped like a coin in the second quarter. UP's shooting percentage dropped from 61 percent to 37, Carroll's percentage went from 36 percent to 62 percent, and the Lady Argos turned the ball over 9 times.
 
The only thing that allowed UP to hang on to the lead when the first half buzzer sounded was its 3-5 shooting from three. Of those 3 three, 2 came from sophomore Jenna Randich in the final five minutes of the second quarter.
 
On the first possession of the second half, Carroll's Bailey Pasta nailed a three to give the Saints their first lead since the game's second minute. Lady Argo senior Stephanie McDonagh matched Pasta and Brittany Johnson shot-for-shot over the next few possessions but 2 turnovers in UP's next two possessions allowed Carroll to go ahead by 5 points.
 
UP would never lead for the rest of game, and threes from Carroll to end the third quarter and start the fourth suddenly put UP behind by 12. That deficit was simply too big to overcome, particularly with the Lady Argos having gone completely cold, hitting just 3-12 in the fourth quarter.
 
McDonagh was again UP's statistical leader, though her offensive numbers were a bit below her incredibly high standards. She scored 15 points, a team high but her lowest total in the last five games, and shot 50 percent, a good number but also below her season average. She added a team leading 6 rebounds and a team leading 5 assists.
 
Senior forward Kallee Wilson gave good minutes off the bench, scoring 7 points with 5 rebounds and 2 assists on 3-5 shooting.
 
For now, the loss knocks UP out of first place in the Frontier Conference, entering the night in a three-way tie with Carroll and (15) Rocky Mountain College. The Lady Argo's record goes to 16-6 (7-4) but the team can rebound with a road game against Rocky on Saturday, February 3 at 5:30 p.m.