Arnie Anderson, half of Carroll’s Twin Towers with Tony Sapit, helped the Saints to their first NAIA Finals Tournament and was a 3-time first team All-Frontier selection. The 6’5” Havre High product left the Hilltop Ranked No. 2 on the program’s stat boards, for season – points (558) and scoring average (23.2 ppg); and career – points (1645) and rebounds (1256). Anderson was also No. 3 in career rebound average (13.65 ppg); and No. 4 in season rebound average (15.4 rpg), and career scoring average (17.9 ppg). He established two CC game records, of 30 rebounds, vs. Northern Montana (still stands), and 19 field goals, vs. Colorado College.
After cracking the varsity roster his freshman year and averaging 9.0 points and 7.6 boards, Arnie averaged double-doubles his final three seasons: 1966 – 17.0 ppg, 10.8 rpg; 1967 – 16.3 ppg, 14.8 rpg; and 1968 – 23.2 ppg, 15.2 rpg. Carroll qualified for Nationals his soph season, beating Eastern in a Frontier title playoff, with Anderson chipping in 18 points and 17 rebounds, and then the College of Idaho 3-2 in the District 5 playoffs. In Game 3, Arnie fired in 22 points and speared 14 boards. At Nationals in Kansas City, he contributed 18 markers in the first round 91-88 victory over Bethune College (Fla.). Next, the Saints were bested 95-86 by powerful Grambling.
The next year, Carroll set a team record of 15 straight victories, while retaining its Frontier crown and finishing at 20-8 overall and 10-0 for the program’s second undefeated league championship. His final season, Arnie collected his third successive first team All-Conference selection, while tying for the most votes on the squad, and was named Saints’ MVP. For his career, Andersen posted sixteen 25-point games and six 30-pointers, with a high of 38 vs. Colorado. He had three 20-rebound contests, including a pair of 20-point/20-rebound efforts. Over the final 10 games of his career, Andersen averaged 26.6 points per game.
