DILLON, Mont. - Kenzie Allen put together the first big-time performance of her young Carroll career, helping lift the No. 16-ranked Fighting Saints to a hard-fought 59-56 win over Montana Western on Friday evening at the Straugh Gymnasium.

For the 20th-consecutive time, the Saints prevailed over the Bulldogs - a streak that dates back to January of 2021, and includes nine wins in Dillon.

While the team as a whole was not particularly great from the floor in Friday night's win, shooting just 35 percent, Kenzie Allen (Grantsville, Utah / JR) was outstanding, dropping a game-high 21 points on a 54 percent effort from the field (7-13). The junior transfer came up clutch time and again for the Saints, hitting shots when needed, knocking down free throws, and leading all players with five steals.

Carroll needed every bit of Allen's 21-point performance to help keep pace with a Bulldog team that shot nearly 50 percent from the floor - paced by a 20-point performance by Isabella Lund.

Western's largest lead of the evening came late in the first quarter, as a pair of free throws gave them a five point advantage. A pair of three-pointers by Willa Albrecht (Billings, Mont. / R-SR) and Ava Oakland (Boise, Idaho / SR), with Oakland's coming at the horn, gave Carroll an 18-17 lead after one.

The Saints would go on to stretch their lead to as large as eight points in the second quarter, and would carry a 38-31 lead into the half. 

Second half shooting woes for the Saints would bring the game back within reach for Western, as Carroll went just 6-25 from the field over the final 20 minutes. The Bulldogs continued to chip away, eventually grabbing the lead back by the tail-end of the third frame.

Western held a four-point lead early in the fourth, before an Allen three would provide a spark for the Saints. The junior added a pair of free throws in the middle of the fourth, and then put Carroll ahead for good with three minutes remaining, draining her second three-pointer of the quarter to help seal the road win. Kennedi Niemann (Cody, Wyo. / R-SO) closed out the victory with a pair of clutch free throws, improving the Saints to 3-1 in the new-look Frontier.

Although the field goal percentage wasn't where they wanted it, the Saints excelled at the stripe. Carroll went 12-13, while Western was 11-18 from the free throw line. The Saints were also far superior from range, going 7-24 from three in the win, while holding UMW to a 1-11 effort from downtown.

Willa Albrecht was held in check offensively, scoring just six points, but made up for it with a game-high nine rebounds to go along with three steals. Meagan Karstetter (Moses Lake, Wash. / SR) and Kennedi Niemann each finished with eight points in the win.

Up next, the Saints will have another ranked opponent, as they take on No. 25 Montana Tech tomorrow night at 5:30 p.m. in Butte.