HELENA, Mont. – The Carroll Women's Basketball team fell to the Southeastern Fire 67-60 in their season opener at the PE Center on Saturday night.
 
Southeastern, who entered the contest 1-0 after a win at Providence on Thursday, got out to an early lead on the Saints. The Fire were up 15-13 after the first quarter.
 
In a strong defensive first half by both teams, the Fire outscored Carroll 14-6 in the second quarter and took a 29-19 lead into the break.
 
Carroll came out in the second half looking to chip away at the ten-point deficit. Both teams exchanged stops and buckets in the third quarter, and Southeastern was able to maintain a ten-point lead heading into the fourth.
 
The Saints put the pressure on in the fourth quarter and cut the deficit to as few as six points. But in the end, Southeastern was able to resist the Carroll comeback and secure the 67-60 victory.
 
Haley Howarth led the Fire with 16 points on 6-8 shooting. She was one of three Southeastern players to finish in double figures.
 
Senior guard Danielle Wagner had a game-high 19 points for the Saints. Jamie Pickens (14 points) and Sienna Swannack (10 points) also finished in double figures.
 
Carroll will be back on the hardwood of the PE Center next Saturday as they host Viterbo at 7 p.m. The game can be found on the Fighting Saints Network, brought to you by Point S Tire and Auto Service.