HELENA, Mont. – The Carroll College women's basketball team is now 2-4 in Frontier Conference play. Of those four losses, the Saints dropped two by three combined points and led both games in the final 30 seconds.
 
Thursday, the Saints start the second round of three in conference play and they begin on the road in Dillon, against the first team that beat them on a buzzer beater, 25th-ranked Montana Western.
 
Carroll hopes to get back on track against the Bulldogs, and according to the head coach Rachelle Sayers, the Saints need to right the ship against teams in the best conference in the country.
 
"We haven't been in this situation before, our backs are against the wall as we start round two," Sayers said. "We know we are a better team than we have shown, but we have to go out and prove it night in and night out. This conference is too strong to think you will survive with just an ok performance or effort."
 
Carroll has lost three-straight games but played step-for-step with No. 2 Lewis-Clark State before the Warriors pulled ahead in the final minutes. Still, Sayers believes her team is moving in the right direction and she hopes they get over the hump against the Bulldogs.
 
"I think we took a huge step toward where we need to be at LC, but it's time to get after it," Sayers said. "We are looking forward to the match up against Western. They are a great team and playing with a lot of confidence. We must match their energy and play with a major sense of urgency and purpose."
 
Carroll is led by Cassidy Hashley who is scoring 16.00 points and grabbing 10.00 rebounds a game and despite losing three-straight, the Saints are still 12-6 on the year.
 
Western started the season 13-0 but has dropped three of the last four, two of those losses coming at home. Kaye Bignell hit the game winner against the Saints and leads the Bulldogs with 14.59 points per game. Britt Cooper averages a team-high 7.00 rebounds.
 
The two teams tip off at 5:30 p.m. at Straugh Gymnasium in Dillon. The game will be broadcast live on 94.9 ESPN Montana Radio and on ESPNMontana.com, a live video stream will be available via the Montana Western Stretch Internet Portal. Live stats will be available via Dakstats.