GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The #22 University of Providence women's basketball team got their biggest win of the season on Thursday, defeating #6 Carroll College 62-59 in the McLaughlin Center. The win marks the eighth straight for the squad.

With the Argos (17-3, 4-1) up 30-24 at the break, the Fighting Saints (15-4, 3-2) came out firing, outscoring the Argos in the third quarter to take a 45-43 lead into the fourth. Up by one with 1:18 left, Kerstyn Pimperton swiped the ball from Danielle Wagner, leading to two Parker Esary free throws on the other end. The Argos forced another turnover on the very next possession, leading to a Reed Hazard layup to give them a 57-52 to essentially seal the game.

"The girls made plays," said assistant coach JC Isakson, who filled in for head coach Bill Himmelberg on the night. "All the credit goes to them. Carroll is well-coached, highly-talented but the girls made plays. We're facing a little adversity right now and they rallied around Coach Himmelberg. The girls made plays it was as simple as that."

The team stayed consistent despite the hype surrounding the matchup, especially when the crowd started getting bigger and louder towards the end of the game.

"The composure they showed goes back to Coach Himmelberg," Isakson said. "The girls have played a lot of minutes for him. He's taught them not to panic and to stay calm. That showed through tonight. That's a testament to Coach Himmelberg and the experience this team has."

Four players scored in double-figures for the squad, led by 17 points from Emilee Maldonado. Hazard finished with 15 points and five boards on 7/12 shooting. Esary added 13 points and seven rebounds for the squad while Brooklyn Harn finished with 13 points and five boards.

"We know what we're going to get out of Emilee and Parker," Isakson said. "Carroll made it tough on them by doubling Parker and face-guarding Emilee. Those other girls have to step up and that's what they did tonight. That was the difference. When teams do that everyone else has to make them pay and they did that tonight."

Sienna Swannick led the Saints with 12 points on the night. Jamie Pickens and Danielle Wagner both added 11.

The Argos have now given themselves an opportunity to play for the top spot in the conference. In their way is #15 Rocky Mountain College, who hasn't lost a game since Nov. 13. The two teams will compete on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. in Billings.

"Rocky is a very well-coached team," Isakson said. "N'Dea Flye is one of the best players in the country. They're on a streak right now. We're going to enjoy this one tonight. We're going to look back at how we played them before and make some adjustments. What we can control is how we play. It starts on the defensive end so that's what we need to focus on."