HELENA, Mont. – The magical first season for Oregon Tech head coach Joy Lease came to an end in the Treasure State, as Frontier Conference champion Carroll College limited the Lady Owls to 31-percent shooting in a 61-46 victory in the second-round of the NAIA National Tournament.
 
The Fighting Saints (26-5) advance to the final site in Sioux City, Iowa and a Thursday date with Loyola (La.).
 
The Montana squad blitzed the Lady Owls (27-5) over the opening four minutes, forcing two turnovers and knocking down their first five shots – bolting to a 14-0 lead.
 
Olivia Sprague tried to rally OIT, pulling the Lady Owls within 27-17 late in the second quarter, but the Saints countered with a Willa Albrecht 3-pointer and a Jamie Pickens basket at the horn, taking a 34-19 lead to the break.
 
The Saints extended their margin to 52-30 in the third quarter, before OIT made a final rally – scoring the first six points of the fourth quarter – but could not get closer.
 
A trio of Carroll players combined for 51 of their 61 points – as Pickens and Albright each scored 18, with Kyndall Keller adding 15. The Saints held a commanding 33-17 edge on the glass.
 
Sprague finished the night with 20 points – her 12th game of the season with 20-or-more points – finishing the season with 572 points, the No. 2 single-season mark in OIT history.
 
Tech finishes the year with their second-most wins in program history (27) – with the 27-5 record the best win percentage by a Lady Owl team. OIT set a new single-season record for rebound margin (+11.1) and joined the 2016 and 2019 teams to win a game at the NAIA Championships.
 
OIT was one of three CCC teams to be eliminated from the tournament on the day – as Southern Oregon lost 62-58 to Menlo and Lewis-Clark State was topped by Jamestown, 65-62.
 
Tonight's game marks the end of the career of two OIT players – seniors Kayley Elliott and Jenna Wallace.