Men's Basketball | 12/29/23 | 9:55 PM

HELENA, Mont. - The Carroll College Men's Basketball team sent their hometown fans home happy to end 2023, racing to a 97-64 win over Lakeland (Can.) on Friday evening at the Carroll College PE Center.

The Fighting Saints (6-7) utilized a second-half surge to pull away from the Rustlers, stacking a pair of wins back-to-back for the first time since November.

A short-handed Lakeland team came out of the gates swinging. The Rustlers opened up a five point lead at the 12-minute mark of the opening half following some high energy defensive efforts, and hot shooting from three-point range.

The Saints would remain calm, and begin a methodical comeback in the later stages of the half.

Andrew Cook (Huntington Beach, Calif. / JR) was an absolute menace on the court in the opening frame. The Junior scored 18 points in the first 20 minutes, and touched the ball on nearly every possession. 

Shaheed Muhammad (Arden Hills, Minn. / JR) had perhaps the best half of his young Carroll career, posting seven points off the bench in the opener to help give the Saints a 42-36 lead at the break.

The Rustlers, playing with just a handful of reserves, simply couldn't keep pace with a focused Carroll effort in the second half.

The Saints would quickly balloon their lead to 19 points in the first four minutes of the second half, and little could be done to stop them.

Carroll was able to get every suited player into the game, and several Saints made their presence felt for the first time this season.

Aidan McGarvin (Eagle, Idaho / R-FR) had a series of offensive boards and inside baskets to bring the crowd to its feet, while Isaiah Crane (Portland, Ore. / FR) flashed some highly-impressive play-making abilities that Saints fans should grow accustomed to over the next four years.

In total, 15 different Saints put points on the board, with every single player recording a stat.

Cook led all scorers, finishing his night with 25 points, three assists, two steals, and a block. Cook is well-positioned to join the Carroll Men's Basketball 1,000 point club in the Frontier Conference opener next month.

Chance Samuel and Dre McFadden each scored 18 points for the Rustlers.

A quick trip to Las Vegas, Nev. is in store for the Saints, as they will play a Sunday afternoon exhibition against the Runnin' Rebels of NCAA Division I UNLV.

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