GREAT FALLS, Mont. – The University of Providence women's basketball program won their second straight Frontier Conference Tournament Championship with a dominant 69-50 victory over Rocky Mountain College Tuesday evening.
 
The Argos (22-7) scored the first points of the game off a layup from sophomore Keanna Salave'a, but the Battlin' Bears (20-10) immediately responded tying the game at two.
 
Both teams would go back and forth the rest of the first until the Argos scored the last seven points of the quarter behind baskets from senior Ashlee Maldonado and a half court buzzer beater from junior Ainsley Thurber to give UP a 21-11 lead going into the second.
 
The Argos would not stop there with five straight points from senior Kolby Pimperton and a three from sophomore Monique Carter extended the UP lead to 14 with four minutes left in the half.
 
The Argos maintained that edge the rest of the half and a triple from sophomore Taliah Lee in the final seconds put UP in front 36-21 heading into the break.
 
The Argos started the second half with back-to-back threes from Pimperton and buckets from Thurber and Salave'a to increase the UP lead to 21 with three minutes left in the third.
 
The two teams would exchange baskets the rest of the third with scores from Carter, Maldonado, and Pimperton leaving the Argos up 55-35 going into the final quarter.
 
The Argos stayed hot with a three from Lee to extend the lead to 23, and despite pressure from the Battlin' Bears, the Argos cruised to their second straight Frontier Conference Tournament Championship with a dominant 69-50 victory over Rocky Mountain College.
 
The Argos had four players in double figures led by Keanna Salave'a's 15 points and 12 rebounds, Taliah Lee added 13 points and Kolby Pimperton and Ashlee Maldonado had 12 points apiece.
 
The Argos will be back in action March 14-15 for the First Round of the NAIA National Championships. UP will learn who and where they are playing on Thursday, March 7 at 5:00 p.m. (MST).