Women's Basketball | 01/20/24 | 8:43 PM

Box Score HELENA, Mont. - The No. 6-ranked Carroll Women's Basketball team improved to 5-0 in Frontier Conference play following a 66-45 win over MSU-Northern on Saturday afternoon at the PE Center.

The Fighting Saints (14-3, 5-0) might not have played their cleanest game of the season on Saturday, but they buckled down in winning time and blew past the Skylights (8-10, 2-3) in impressive fashion.

Carroll found themselves in unfamiliar territory after one quarter of play. Following an 0-5 team effort from beyond the arc, the Saints trailed at the end of the first quarter, 12-15. Jamie Pickens (Helena, Mont. / GR) was seemingly the only Saint who could find a bucket in the first, scoring eight in the frame.

The offensive output was slightly better in the second quarter, but Carroll's defensive effort would be the difference-maker in the frame. Carroll held Northern to just 15 percent from the field in the second quarter (2-13), and saw a pair of Erica Nessan (Spokane, Wash. / GR) three's find the bottom of the net to carry a 26-19 lead at the break.

MSU-Northern came out firing in the third quarter. The Skylights more than made up for their lack of scoring in the second, shooting 56 percent from the field for 21 third quarter points to regain the lead. Carroll went just 4-15 from the floor in the frame, and made a number of uncharacteristic mistakes, allowing Northern to head into the final quarter with a three-point advantage.

Everything changed in the fourth quarter, and the Saints would blow the doors wide open. Carroll would shoot a scorching 81 percent (9-11) from the field, and went perfect at the free throw line (10-10), while simultaneously tightening their effort on the defensive end in the fourth. Seven different Saints would score a combined 29 fourth quarter points, all while holding the Skylights to just two field goals, and Carroll would walk out of the week unscathed.

Jamie Pickens, a double-double machine, had one of the most impressive individual stat lines in recent memory. Pickens finished her night with 20 points, 18 rebounds, and six assists, all game-highs.

WIlla Albrectht (Billings, Mont. / R-JR) finished with 14 points and five rebounds, while Nessan had one of her best showings of the year, scoring 12.

RIley Kehr was the only MSU-Northern player to post double-digits in points, finishing with a team-high 12 points and three rebounds.

A Thursday night showdown with Montana Western in Dillon is now the focus for a Carroll team that has won their last six games dating back to December.

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