DILLON, Mont. - The No. 18 Carroll College Women's Basketball team led coast-to-coast in a 72-60 win over No. 12 Montana Western on Thursday evening.

The Fighting Saints (15-5, 6-1) came into the evening focused, and made their presence felt early and often in a 72-60 win over Montana Western (17-3, 5-2).

Carroll got right to work in Dillon tonight. The Saints jumped all over the Bulldogs from the opening tip, coming out of the gate on a 20-4 run. Carroll would finish the first quarter with a 24-8 lead over the No. 12 team in the nation. Jamie Pickens (Helena, Mont. / SR) was a force in the opening period, scoring 8 points to lead the way for the Saints.

Montana Western would go on to outscore the Saints in the second quarter, albeit by just one point, and trimmed the Carroll lead to 15 heading into the halftime break. Sienna Swannack (Nine Mile Falls, Wash. / GR) and Genesis Wilkinson (Moses Lake, Wash. / SR) each scored five points to pace the Saints in the second.

Carroll would again heavily outscore the Bulldogs in the third quarter, extending their lead to 25 points through three quarters of play. The front court tandem of Pickens and Maddie Geritz (Boise, Idaho / R-SR) combined for 14 points in the quarter.

Western would outscore the Saints 21-8 in the fourth quarter, making the game appear much tighter on paper, but even with the late push Carroll would coast to a 12-point victory.

Four of the Saints' starting five posted double digit points on the night, led by Pickens' 18 point, five rebound, and Maddie Geritz's 14 point seven rebound performances. 

Carroll was able to keep Western's Brynley Fitzgerald in-check on the night, but the Bulldog standout still led her team with 12 points in the loss.

Next up for the Saints is a rivalry game with Montana Western on Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Carroll College PE Center.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com for a preview of that game, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.