DILLON, Mont. -- Last season the Carroll College Fighting Saints ascended the mountain. This season, the Saints stood their ground. 

The Saints rose to the game's biggest occasion, outscoring Montana Western 18-12 in the fourth quarter to claim a second consecutive Frontier Conference postseason championship on Tuesday night in Straugh Gymnasium, 54-50. 

"I can't say enough about them," Saints coach Rachelle Sayers told Sports 94.9 about her team. "I'm excited to take this team to the national tournament. I think they're going to make some noise."

After starting the previous few games slowly, Carroll (25-7) started strong against the regular season Frontier champion in a raucous environment. Dani Wagner and Britt Johnson each scored five points, each hitting a three in the first period. 

Carroll led 16-14 after one. 

The offense slowed significantly in the second period, scoring only three points through five minutes of play. Though generating good looks around the perimeter, the Saints went cold with their shooting. 

Western (25-4) guard and conference-leading scorer Bri King created space for herself on the other end, leading all scorers with 15 points at halftime.

It would be the majority of the damage she inflicted on the Saints, however. 

While the Bulldogs built a lead through the third quarter, Hannah Dean gave the Saints a momentous three as the third expired. 

"Unbelievable," Sayers said. "That second half effort and discipline and focus. This is just a really good Western team. I thought our seniors led us."

Carroll regained the lead with 6:10 left in the fourth quarter after Jaidyn Lyman hit a three-pointer. 

King knocked down a free-throw to knot the game at 41 with 5:09 left. 

Cooper drilled a three-pointer for the Bulldogs to put Western back on top. 

Seconds later, Wagner broke down the defense and kicked it out to Johnson in the corner, who nailed her third three of the game to tie it at 44. 

A play later, Dean caught a ball deep in the post and scored with her left to give the Saints a 46-44 lead. Dean came up with a big steal on a Bulldogs in-bound play, and then the Saints found Johnson open on another three-pointer. 

Suddenly, the Saints had built a five-point lead with three minutes left. 

King missed a jumper and then Dean drew a foul on the other end, connecting on both free throws. The Saints held a seven-point lead with two minutes to go. 

King, once again, missed the mark with her jumper.  After carrying the Bulldogs so far in the first half, the Bulldogs' fizzled. 

Two Saints turnovers followed by two quick Bulldogs buckets brought the home team within three points with 57 seconds left. 

Then, Johnson's defender slipped while guarding her and the senior went to the hoop for a layup. 

"I thought Birtt made big shots when we needed them," Sayers said. "That layup sealed it. We were struggling. She snuck in there and finished it." 

Paige Holmes airballed a three on the other end, but Britt Cooper rebounded it and reversed it in to bring Western within three with six seconds left. 

The Bulldogs fouled Dean and sent her to the line. Dean knocked down one of the two.

It was all the Saints needed. 

Dean led the Saints with 18 points and eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and two blocks. Johnson added 16 (4-for-6 on threes) and Wagner finished with 11 and seven rebounds. 

"Just a great, great win for our kids. I'm proud of our seniors for them to go out like this," Sayers said.

The Saints, winners of 10 consecutive games, will find out on Wednesday what seed they are in the national tournament during the bracket unveiling.

For now, they're back-to-back conference champions.