GREAT FALLS, Mont. –The #22 University of Providence women's basketball team will have quite the introduction to the Top 25 this week. Ranked for the first time this season, the Argos (16-3, 3-1) will host #6 Carroll College on Thursday night before traveling to Billings to take on #15 Rocky Mountain College on Saturday.

"It's an exciting week," head coach Bill Himmelberg said. "We're playing two of the best teams in the country. They're both well-coached and have lots of good kids. We're going to have to show up. Our bench is going to have to play well. We're going to have to compete at every spot. It's going to be a big challenge for us."

The Argos moved into the Top 25 for the first time this season after a successful month of basketball. After falling to the Battlin' Bears (15-1, 4-0) on Dec. 2, the squad has ripped off seven straight wins. The winning streak includes two wins over ranked opponents; the Argos defeated #18 Dakota State in the final game of the Cactus Classic before taking down #21 Montana Western last Thursday.

To extend their winning streak to eight straight wins they'll have to get by the #6 Fighting Saints (15-3, 3-1) on Thursday. The Saints have four players averaging double-figures, led by 15.9 points per game from Danielle Wagner, and also feature one of the deepest benches in the conference.

"They're a balanced team with balanced scoring," Himmelberg said. "You have to worry about Jamie Pickens, she's a good player. Kamden Hilborn is a good player. Danielle Wagner and Christine Denny are two of the best guards in the conference. Then you have Sienna Swannack who is athletic and can do it all. They got five right off the start who are going to pose problems for us and then you got some girls coming off the bench who are really good. They're probably the most balanced team in the Frontier Conference top to bottom."

Following the Carroll game the squad will hit the road and travel to Billings, where they'll take on one of the hottest teams in the country. The Battlin' Bears are currently on a 14-game winning streak, having only lost once to Lewis-Clark State on Nov. 13. The Bears are led by returning NAIA National Player of the Week N'Dea Flye, who is averaging 20.3 points and 10.0 rebounds per game so far on the season.

"We're going to have to control Flye a little bit," Himmelberg said. "She's been averaging almost 30 a game the last few games and was the National Player of the Week last week so she's hot. She's probably going to get some points but we have to make sure they're difficult. We'll have to control her and limit her points a little bit and make sure that we score the basketball. The key is getting some scores on them. They're going to get their points but we're going to have score some baskets if we're going to have a chance."

The game against the Fighting Saints, which will double as Superhero Night, will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the McLaughlin Center.

The University of Providence is requiring all guests to wear a mask in all indoor areas from Jan. 5 - Jan. 18. The University continues to support the recommendations of public health officials that the best ways to mitigate risk include getting vaccinated, wearing a mask, and testing as appropriate.