HELENA, Mont. – The Carroll College men's basketball team rode stifling defense to earn a 56-41 win over Montana Tech Thursday in Butte.

The game was series of runs in the first half. The Diggers went up 6-2 with 16:26 left in the first half. Carroll then went on an 11-0 run to take a 13-6 lead, before Tech responded with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 13.

The two teams traded baskets before Carroll closed the half on a 6-0 run to take a 25-20 lead into the break.

The Saints never trailed in the second half, but it was a back and forth battle. Carroll led 41-37 with 7:13 left but the Saints held Tech scoreless for over six minutes and built a 54-37 advantage before Tech scored a pair of buckets in the final minute of the game to cut the final score to 56-41.

Carroll was 21-52(40.4 percent) from the field and 5-10 (50 percent) from the three-point line. Dane Warp came off of the bench to score a team-high 13 points. Ryan Imhoff notched a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

"Much like last game, I was super-impressed by the fellas' defense," head coach Carson Cunningham said. "We are scuffling on offense all the sudden, but we're going to keep battling through it. It was great to see Dane, who we know is a dynamic player, get rolling. Altogether, the team defense carried us. That's what we need to hang our hat on from here out. At some point, I think an offensive rhythm will come."

Montana Tech was 19-59 (32.2 percent) from the field and 3-20 (15 percent) from the three-point line.

Carroll outrebounded Tech 38-34.

The Saints improve to 16-2 on the year, and 4-2 in Frontier Conference play.

Carroll now gets a well-deserved long weekend before getting back on the road to games at Montana Western a week from tonight and Lewis-Clark State next Saturday.