HELENA – The Carroll College women knew they were in for a quick turnaround. The Fighting Saints, fresh off victories over Montana Western and Lewis-Clark State, each Top 10 opponents, entered Tuesday’s contest against Rocky Mountain College with a chance to move to the top of the Frontier Conference standings.
After holding off the Battlin’ Bears in overtime, Carroll (4-1) traveled south on I-15 Thursday for another key contest against rival Montana Tech.
“It’s always a big game. They don’t like us very much, we don’t like them and we’re always battling,” said Carroll post Michaela Dowdy. “We just need to come out strong, throw the first punches and get into the game. We know they’re chaotic and they really pressure the ball, so we need to stay calm and stay in our offense.”
Thursday night will also be the first road game during Carroll’s current five-game win streak. The Saints held strong at the P.E. Center in Helena, but admittedly haven’t played in a hostile environment since December.
“It’s our first road game in a while. At the beginning (of the season) we were away for a while, then we got to come back home, now we’re away again,” Dowdy said. “We just know we have to stay focused, stay in our routine and go out there and get the win.”
Dowdy has been a key component to coach Rachelle Sayers and the Saints during the win streak. The former Helena Capital standout has averaged 14.2 points per game over the last five contests, including a 21-point outburst in Tuesday’s win over Rocky. The 6-foot-1 senior has settled into a larger role with the Saints, one she’s thriving in.
“I help be a leader out there,” she said. “There are a lot of new people here that are playing, a lot of younger girls, so we need to help them and trust them. Everyone is good on our team, so we can trust everyone to do their part and pull out wins like (Tuesday’s against Rocky).”
