HELENA, Mont. – The Carroll College men's basketball team fell to Montana State University-Northern 66-60 in the quarterfinals of the Frontier Conference playoffs Wednesday evening at the PE Center.
 
The loss is likely the end of an unlikely run to 18 wins for the team that was picked to finish last in the Frontier to begin the season.  Carroll College won just 11 combined games in the last two seasons but this version of the Saints won the most games since the 2010-11 season.
 
Early on the Saints were in complete control, they built a 27-17 lead late in the force half before Northern cut the lead to 31-24 at the break.
 
Zach Taylor had 13 points in the first half to lead all scorers before the break.
 
The Lights chipped away at the lead and a three-pointer by Northern's Trevail Lee gave them a 45-44 advantage with 8:08 left in the game.
 
Northern built a 52-46 lead before Carroll was able to cut the lead to 52-50 on two Taylor free throws with 3:24 remaining.
 
Northern rebuilt a seven-point lead, enough to hold off Carroll and earn the win.
 
"We did a lot of what we wanted to do. We just had too many turnovers in the second half," Carroll coach Carson Cunningham said. "But I can't complain. These guys had an unbelievable year."
 
 Taylor led all scorers with 26 points, Ryan Imhoff scored 16 and Oliver Carr had 10 points to lead the Saints.
 
Corbin Pearson led the MSU-Northern 18 points.
 
Carroll was 23-of-45 (51.1 percent) from the field and 9-of-11 (91.7 percent) from the line.
 
MSU-Northern advances to play first-seed Lewis-Clark in the Frontier semifinals Saturday in Lewiston, Idaho while the Saints are left to reflect on a season that is another step in the return to national prominence.