SIOUX CITY, Iowa — History has a way of, if not repeating, borrowing from itself.
Saturday, in Carroll’s 71-56 NAIA National Tournament Quarterfinal victory over Dakota State, the Saints not only avenged a year-old season-ending defeat, they tapped into their roots and qualified for the program’s first-ever semifinal.
“It’s just so special,” Saints head coach Rachelle Sayers said. “We had three seniors who delayed their future plans and decided to come back [for an extra year]. They came back for this moment…
“They said, ‘we wanna come back and have a chance to compete for a national championship. For them to delay their plans to give us one more run at this just makes it that much more special.”
A 28th overall victory – Carroll’s most in the 13-year tenure of head coach Rachelle Sayers – not since 2007 have the Saints triumphed more in a single campaign.
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That season, a Helena High graduate, University of Montana transfer, and jersey No. 42-wearer named Amy Brooks was Carroll’s leading scorer. Jolene Fuzesy, who made the trip to Sioux City as an assistant coach, was a junior on her way to a career-best 138 made triples.
Brooks, Sayers (at the time a Wildcat assistant coach) said, was recruited to Weber State before ultimately choosing the Griz.
Saturday, Jamie Pickens – a Helena High graduate and Montana transfer with No. 42 in purple scrolled upon her chest – dropped a 24-point, 18-rebound double-double, with six assists, to send Carroll somewhere it has never been.
“She’s the national player of the year,” Sayers said. “If anybody tries to say it’s different – she’s the national player of the year.”
Truly a full-circle-type moment as history sorta doubles back on itself but is pushed forward at the same time.
“Obviously I hear [Brooks’] name a lot because she’s a legend,” Pickens said.
Like Pickens accomplished with Bengals scoring and rebounding records – breaking Brooks’ marks some 16 years after they were established – she’s rocketed Carroll to unprecedented heights, scoring nearly 2,000 points (now just 16 shy) and grabbing 1,019 rebounds in the process.
Saturday, Pickens scored 10 of the Saints’ first 18 points, amassed her 24th double-double of the season in the first half, and contributed six points to Carroll’s key 15-6 third-quarter run after Dakota State pulled with two points.
That roughly nine-minute stretch to close the third ensured a repeat of Dakota State’s 2023 comeback wouldn’t happen.
“Just our mindset going into the [halftime] locker room,” Pickens said. “It was like, ‘we refuse to lose.’ This team has so much grit, so much drive…
“We just refuse to lose. We’re not gonna go into a game ever doubting ourselves, we're gonna have all the confidence in the world. It works out for us when we believe in each other and believe in ourselves.”
Maddie Geritz notched a second-straight double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Kyndall Keller added nine points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Addi Ekstrom chipped in eight points and three assists.
One revenge game – so to speak – in the rearview, another is on the horizon for Carroll.
Chapter five of the season series with Frontier Conference foe Providence.
Carroll captured matchups no. 1 and no. 3, Providence nos. 2 and 4, including the Frontier Tournament Championship on March 2.
It’s the first time Frontier women’s basketball teams have met in the NAIA National Tournament.
More history remains to be made.
“I think it’s fun,” Pickens said. “Obviously it’s really awesome that two Frontier Conference teams are playing in the final four…
“[Providence is] a great team, we’re gonna have to bring it to them. I think it’ll be a good game. It’s what people wanna see.”
Tip off is scheduled for 5 p.m. MT on Monday.