GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence women's basketball program defeated MSU-Northern 74-69 Saturday afternoon.

The Argos (15-7) scored the first basket of the game when graduate transfer Ashlee Maldonado drove through the defense for a layup.

The Skylights (10-12) would quickly respond with a bank in three-pointer but a 7-0 run for the Argos behind a layup from senior Maddy Dixon and a layup from freshman Keanna Salave'a gave UP a four-point lead.

MSU-Northern would make back-to-back threes to tie the game at nine but the Argos would answer with a 13-0 run behind threes from junior Kolby Pimperton and freshman Taliah Lee.

Each side would trade baskets the rest of the quarter as the Argos went into the second leading 24-14.

UP would open the second with a pair of layups from Dixon and following a layup from MSU-Northern, a layup freshman Eliannah Ramirez made it 30-17.

Both teams would go back and forth until a layup by MSU-Northern beat the buzzer to shorten the Argo lead to 39-31 going into the break. Maldonado led the way for UP with nine points in the first half.

Salave'a would open the second half with a layup, but back-to-back baskets from MSU-Northern cut the lead to four.

The Argos would stop the run with a three from Maldonado, but a 7-0 run from the Skylights tied the game at 33 midway through the third quarter.

A free throw from Maldonado gave UP a one-point lead, and despite MSU-Northern taking their first lead of the game 47-45, a three from Maldonado kept the Argos ahead by one.

Maldonado would extend her scoring streak to nine in a row for UP, and following a layup from the Skylights, Maldonado would pick off a pass and find Lee on the fastbreak to make it 52-49 going into the fourth quarter.

MSU-Northern would open the final quarter on a 5-0 run but a three pointer from Maldonado put the Argos in front by one.

There would be six lead changes over the next four minutes until free throws from Lee and a three-pointer from Maldonado gave the Argos a 67-63 lead.

Maldonado would hit another three to extend the lead to seven, but MSU-Northern would answer with a three of their own to make it 72-68 with two minutes remaining.

The Argos would increase their lead to six after a layup from Salave'a, and despite late free throws from MSU-Northern, UP was able to hold on for the 74-69 victory.

Maldonado led the way for the Argos with 27 points and six assists and Lee had a new career high with 14 points.

The Argos will be back in action Feb. 8 when travel to Butte, Mont. Tip-off versus Montana Tech is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. at Kelvin Sampson Court.