HELENA, Mont. – Carroll College had six players in double figures and made ten three-pointers to defeat visiting Whitworth University 88-61 in a non-conference women's basketball game on Friday night.
The Saints, ranked 7th in the NAIA preseason poll and favorites in the Frontier Conference, improved to 6-1, while the Pirates dropped to 0-3.
Carroll never trailed after scoring the game's first basket, opening a 17-8 lead on a three-pointer by Danielle Wagner. Whitworth cut the margin to 17-14 on Megan Dorney's layup before the Saints tallied the final five points of the period for a 22-14 lead.
Carroll opened its first double-digit margin (26-14) early in the second period. The Pirates stayed within striking distance for most of the first half, pulling within 34-25 on another Dorney basket with three minutes to go. The Saints closed on an 8-0 run, including a pair of three pointers by Sienna Swannack, to go up 42-25 at halftime.
Carroll quickly stretched the margin to 25 points early in the second half and the Saints were never threatened from that point. The lead reached as many as 39 points (80-41) early in the fourth quarter.
Dorney led Whitworth with 19 points, making 8-10 shots from the floor and all three of her free throw attempts. Quincy McDeid added 11 points, while Kimberly Dewey contributed career highs of 10 points and six rebounds off the bench.
The Pirates made just over 40% of their shots from the field (21-52), but struggled from beyond the arc (0-8). Whitworth was a season-best 19-21 (90.5%) from the free throw line.
Swannack led six Saints in double figures with 14 points, including 3-5 from three-point range. Christine Denny posted a double-double with ten points and 11 assists while Wagner scored 13 points. Carroll was credited with 27 assists on 33 made shots. The Saints made 52% of their shots (33-63), including 10-29 (34.5%) from three-point range.
Whitworth will return to action next Wednesday with its first Division III game of the season at Whittier College (1-0) on Wednesday in California.
