BILLINGS, Mont. – The No. 14 Saints were 33-49 (67.3 percent) from the field, and Rocky Mountain shot 30-50 (60 percent) from the field, but in the shot-for-shot battle, the Saints held off the Bears down the stretch to pick up the 91-84 road win behind 26 points from Ryan Imhoff.
 
The two teams traded leads three times in the first half. Rocky led by as many as six, but at the half, Carroll built a 40-34 lead.
 
After the break, Carroll led most of the half, but The Battlin' Bears took a 62-61 lead with just under seven minutes to play Carroll responded with a three-pointer from Ife Kalejaiye, but Craig Wilmore answered with a three-pointer of his own to give Rocky back the lead.
 
The teams continued to battle, but tied at 57, Carroll went on a 7-1 run to take control. Chad Kananen hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 79-75 with 1:36 to play, but Carroll went 10-12 from the line in the final 1:22 to close out the seven-point win.
 
Imhoff scored more than 25 points for the third consecutive game after scoring 25 against MSU-Northern and 28 against Montana Tech. He was the leading scorer, but Carroll had four others in double figures. Lorel Johnson had 17 points. Match Burnham tallied 15, Matt Wyman notched 13 and Kalejaiye tallied 12.  Imhoff had a game-high six rebounds and six steals.
 
"That was a game in which both teams threw haymaker after haymaker," Cunningham said. "Our guys hung tough, were able to answer the bell time after time. You have to give Rocky credit for a hard-fought, well-played game.  I was so impressed by the Fighting Saints' ability to maintain high intensity and stick together. Fortunately, we were able to come out with the W. Now we get ready for the next battle."
 
Craig Wilmore led Rocky with 10 points, Satchel McDonald had 16, Kananen scored 15 and Jared Samuelson notched 13.
 
The win helps Carroll maintain at least a share of the Frontier lead with Montana Western. The Bulldogs face Providence Saturday in Dillon.
 
Carroll next faces MSU-Northern in Havre on Friday, Feb. 16.