HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Men's Basketball team picked up a home win leading into a busy tournament weekend on Thursday night, beating SAGU American Indian College 93-88 at the PE Center.

The Fighting Saints (4-5) found a way to shut the door on a late comeback attempt by the upstart Warriors (4-7) in a game that was dominated by free throws.

Kendall Moore (Dayton, Ohio / JR), dubbed as the "Dayton Sensation", came out of the gates hot. Moore was feeling it early, knocking down three-straight three pointers, as well as a layup to help give the Saints an early 14-3 lead. 

SAGU would settle in and respond, however, eventually knotting the game at 20-20 midway through the frame.

Carroll ended the first half on a 13-6 run to carry a 36-29 lead into the halftime break. Moore's quick start saw him enter the half with 13 points, while Gui Pedra (Sao Paolo, Brazil / SR) had one of his most complete halves of the season, posting eight points and five rebounds in the opening 20.

The second half was not one marred by foul-after-foul, and had little-to-no flow throughout. 

Out of the break, Carroll blew the game wide-open heading into the first media timeout. Carroll opened the frame on a 22-11 run, extending their lead to 21 points with under 14 minutes remaining.

The whistles would blow on nearly every possession over the next seven-plus minutes, and the free throw competition was on. In total, the teams shot 63 free throws on the night (Carroll 28-36, SAGU 19-27).

With just over five minutes remaining, the Warriors would begin an intense full court pressure. Their efforts would be rewarded, as several costly Carroll turnovers would help spark a comeback.

Twice, SAGU would cut the lead to as little as three points, but the Saints would stand tall, converting on their opportunities and coming up with enough stops to secure the five point win, 93-88.

Moore went 6-9 from the free throw line in the second half, and added 12 more points to bring his final tally to a game-high 31 points.

Zane Foster (Puyallup, Wash. / JR) was dominant throughout. The Carroll big man posted a monster 15 point, 16 rebound double-double, but perhaps more impressive were the seven-footer's five blocks on the night.

All five of Carroll's starters finished with double-digit points on the evening (Moore 31, Cook 15, Foster 15, Pedra 10, Lang 10).

Playing with a condensed roster, with several players fouling out, the Warriors were led by Michael DeHorney's 26 points, and Harley Upton's 23 points.

The Saints will be off to this weekend's Cactus Classic before the sun rises in the morning, with a Friday travel day ahead of three games in Chandler, Ariz. this weekend.

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