’Diggers complete sweep of Argonauts

By Dave Johnson - 03/01/2008

The Montana Tech women scored the first 12 points of the game and never looked back.

The Orediggers (11-16) demolished the University of Great Falls Argonauts 67-44 and swept the season series between the two schools.

At the Montana Tech HPER Complex, the ‘Diggers’ sometimes sluggish offense was jumpstarted from the onset by 5’-8 junior guard Stephanie Langford who put down three consecutive shots, two of them 3-pointers. The ‘Diggers took a 12-0 lead with only three minutes elapsed off the clock.

The scoring binge ala Langford left the Argonauts (12-17) dazed and confused. Finally, Laura Keaster, the senior scoring ace for Great Falls, sank her jumper ending the Argo interminable scoring drought.

Keaster, who scored only two

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points in the first half, showed some dramatics after being called for touch fouls. With the score 36-20 in the second half, Keaster missed a long 2-pointer and let out a yell that broadcasted her frustration at her inability to put her team in motion. Added to her ruing were six turnovers.

“We put Jessie (DePell) on her (Keaster) because of her (DePell’s) long arms. We did some other things too that worked the last time, but I don’t want to give them away,” said first-year head coach for the “Diggers, Kerie DePell. Tech beat Great Falls earlier in the season, 55-51.

Jessie DePell led all scorers with 27 after scoring only seven in the first half.

DePell took control in the second half, though. She was 3-for-5 from the beyond the arc, scoring the lion’s share of her points from outside. She garnered 20 of her 27 points with six minutes remaining in the game when she buried her third 3-pointer. The shot gave the ‘Diggers a 23-point lead at 60-37.

“She’s learning that she can’t wait for others. Sometimes she needs to put the team on her own shoulders,” said coach DePell of her star sophomore.

“It was a confidence builder,” said Jessie DePell. “It’s always great to win at home.”

Natalie Shaw was a huge contributor on defense with her 10 rebounds.

Bench players, Teresa Merrill, Becky Roll, and Kimber Peters, were also big standouts.

“They were great off the bench. With only eight players everyone’s got to contribute for us to win,” said Jessie DePell.

Merrill, the sophomore from Glendive, was shaky at the start with two turnovers, but she soon warmed up making two blocks and ripping down five rebounds.

At the guard spot, Roll was an obvious leader.

“I’d like to highlight Becky. She was excellent at running the show tonight,” said Coach DePell.

Peters finished the night with only two points, but her seven rebounds solidified the ‘Digger defensive effort. Peters used her long, loping strides to hustle back on defense against the Argonauts’ 6’-2 center, Ashley Stephen.

Stephen tallied only a meager four points on the night. Great Falls outscored Tech in the paint, however, 24 to 12. Former Tech player Jacqui Millam cashed in on her tough inside play and finished the game with seven points. The Argonauts’ other inside player Jocelyn Moore was held to only two points. She averages nine a game.

Keaster led Great Falls with her 16 points, 14 of those coming in the second half.

Keaster got more into the flow in the second stanza, but still was not up to her average of almost 19 points per game.

Montana Tech needs a win on Saturday at 6 p.m. against the University of Montana-Northern. With a win at the HPER on Saturday night, the ‘Diggers would be closer to their goal of sealing up the fifth seed at the Frontier Conference Tournament slated for next week in Butte.

“It’s our goal to get the fifth position for the tournament,” said Coach DePell. “Rocky needs to lose and Northern needs to beat Western. But regardless, we need to win tomorrow.”

GREAT FALLS (12-17, 3-10) — Jocelyn Moore 1-7 0-0 2, Laura Keaster 5-22 4-6 16, Kassie Holmlund 1-5 0-0 2, Ashley Stephen 2-8 0-0 4, Jacqui Millam 3-6 1-2 7, Marissa Francis 2-10 1-2 5, Kirilynn Winkler 4-6 0-0 8, Danielle Heny 0-1 0-0 0, Keyla Briese 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 18-68 6-11 44.

MONTANA TECH (11-16, 4-9) — Jenessa Todd 2-11 0-0 4, Jessie DePell 5-7 14-15 27, Adrea Thomas 3-11 1-2 9, Stephanie Langford 3-9 2-2 10, Natalie Shaw 3-6 2-2 8, Becky Roll 1-4 1-4 3, Kimber Peters 1-6 0-0 2, Teresa Merrill 2-4 0-4 4. Totals 20-58 20-29 67.

Halftime — Tech 31, Great Falls 16. 3-point goals — Great Falls 2-16 (Keaster 2-8, Francis 0-4), Tech 7-16 (Todd 0-1, DePell 3-5, Thomas 2-4, Langford 2-4, Roll 0-1). Total fouls — Great Falls 19, Tech 14. Technicals — none. Rebounds — Great Falls 42 (Moore 7, Stephen 5, Millan 3, Briese 3, Francis 8, Winkler 6), Tech 54 (Todd 9, Thomas 8, Shaw 10, Peters 7). Blocks — Great Falls 5 (Stephen 2, Francis 2), Tech 4 (Todd 2, Merrill 2). Assists — Great Falls 8 (Holmlund 4, Francis 2), Tech 15 (Thomas 2, Langford 2, Shaw 4, Roll 3, Peters 3). Steals — Great Falls 5 (Keaster 2), Tech 7 (Langford 2). Turnovers — Great Falls 18, Tech 20.