HELENA, Mont. - The No. 5-ranked Carroll Women's Basketball team earned an impressive 12-point victory over No. 10 Lewis-Clark Sate on Friday night at the Carroll College PE Center.

The Fighting Saints (5-2) saw their highest scoring night of the season, and needed every bit of the firepower to outlast a very good Warriors (3-1) team on the first night of the Carroll College Thanksgiving Classic.

The first quarter set the tone for what would prove to be quite the offensive showcase. LC State carried a 25-23 advantage after one, getting 10-point performances from two separate players, Callie Stevens and Maddie Holm. The Saints were 3-7 from the three-point line in the opener, and managed to keep pace in the highest-scoring first quarter they have seen this season.

The hot shooting for each team would carry over into the second quarter, where both teams went better than 50 percent from the field. Jamie Pickens (Helena, Mont. / GR) poured in eight points, but the Warriors would extend their lead to three at the halftime break, 46-43.

Carroll shot nearly 60 percent from the field in the third frame, and a pair of three-pointers from WIlla Albrecht (Billings, Mont. / R-JR) would help Carroll outscore the Warriors for the first time on the night, but LC State would bring a two point lead into the final frame.

The fourth quarter belonged to the Saints. 

Each team, up to that point, had scored at least 20 points in every quarter. Carroll would blow the game wide open in the late stages, ending the game on a 23-8 run, and holding the Warriors to just 12 points in the final quarter. The front court pair of Pickens and Maddie Gertiz (Boise, Idaho / GR) combined for 15 points to close the door on a quality non-conference win.

Pickens had a monster night, scoring a career-high 31 points, all while pulling down 10 boards for yet another double-double.

Geritz had a great night in her own right, finishing with 17 points and five rebounds.

Kyndall Keller (Havre, Mont. / SR) and Addi Ekstrom (Bozeman, Mont. / JR) scored 12 and 11 points, respectively, from their guard positions.

Carroll out-rebounded the Warriors 32-20 on the night.

LC State's Callie Stevens was outstanding in the losing effort, finishing with 26 points on 8-14 shooting.

Carroll will have a quick turnaround, as they take on a (RV) Southern Oregon team that knocked-off previously unbeaten Providence earlier tonight.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com tomorrow evening for a recap of the action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.