BILLINGS, Mont. - For the seventh-straight time dating back to 2023-24, the Carroll College Men's Basketball team knocked off Rocky Mountain College, gutting-out a hard-earned 76-74 win to open Frontier Conference play on Friday evening.

The Fighting Saints (2-1, 1-0) picked up right where they left off at the tail-end of last year's league slate, emerging victorious over the (RV) Battlin' Bears (3-1, 0-1).

Following a poor performance in their loss to then-ranked No. 1 College of Idaho two weeks ago, Carroll came out with much more focus - defending well and shooting the ball at a clip they're more accustomed to. The Saints struggled from the floor in their lone loss, shooting just 36 percent, but bounced back against the Bears with a 52 percent effort from the field on Friday.

While reigning Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year Isaiah Crane (Portland, Ore. / R-SO) draws plenty of attention due to his knack for scoring, it was a pair of other guards that helped give Carroll a 38-32 lead at the half. Kellen Harrison (Bozeman, Mont. / SO) and Drew Jones (Puyallup, Wash. / FR) combined for 19 first-half points, with each splashing a pair of threes.

Both teams attempted 10 three-pointers in the first, with Carroll shooting 50 percent to Rocky's 25.

The Saints maintained their advantage through the first ten minutes of the second half, but the Bears clawed their way back in front with a 10-2 at the midway point of the frame.

Carroll got into the bonus early in the second half, and a combination of timely shooting from the floor, tough effort on the defensive end, and solid work at the free throw line would help them close out the win, even if it was closer than they would have liked.

An ill-advised Carroll three early in the shot clock around the one-minute mark with the Saints holding a four-point lead opened the door for the Bears to make one final charge. Three free throws from Crane over the final 30 seconds would close the door on Rocky's effort, however, as Carroll held on for the two-point win.

Rocky heavily out-rebounded the Saints, 29-18, but Carroll's full-team effort saw five different Saints record 10 or more points.

Crane led the team with 18 points and five rebounds. Lorence Dela Cruz (Winnipeg, Manitoba / SR) scored 14, Isaac Round (Northampton, England / SO) added 13, while Harrison finished with 12 and Jones with 11.

The Saints will look to keep momentum rolling as they embark on a two-game road trip to Dickinson State and Bismarck State next weekend.