GREAT FALLS, Mont. - The Carroll College Men's Basketball team raced past Providence 101-88 at the McLaughlin Center on Thursday evening, securing their first win over the Argos to avoid a season sweep.

The Fighting Saints (11-14, 6-6) deviated from their normal starting five on Thursday in Great Falls, and the move worked. The Saints posted the single-highest points in a Frontier Conference game this season, topping 100 points as they evened their mark in league play.

Kellen Harrison (Bozeman, Mont. / FR) got his first collegiate start of his career, inserted into the lineup alongside Lorence Dela Cruz (Winnipeg, Manitoba / JR), who made his debut in the starting five for the Saints this season as well. Both made an instant impact, and set the stage for one of Carroll's most impressive wins on the year.

Carroll jumped out to an early lead, and never looked back.

Over the first eight minutes of the game, the Saints were perfect 10-10 from the floor, beginning the game on a 23-12 run. From that point on, the Saints would never allow the lead to dip below as little as three points.

Providence's Mike Wright Jr. was equally as impressive as the Saints in the first half, going nearly 18 minutes without missing a shot to keep the Argos within striking distance. He led all players in the opening half with 22 points on 7-10 shooting, while Ryan Chavez added 12 more points from the bench. Both players scored more than their season averages in the first half, but the Saints simply wouldn't let their lead slip away. 

Carroll was scorching hot from range in the opening half, as Isaiah Crane (Portland, Ore. / R-FR) was 2-2 from three-point range to lead the Saints with 14 points in the frame, while both Harrison and Isaac Round (Northampton, England / FR) went 3-4 from deep to combine for 20 first half points. Of the 20 made field goals by Carroll in the half, 14 came by way of assist, as the Saints matched their season average in just 20 minutes of play.

A Derek Kramer (Bellevue, Wash. / JR) block with time running out somehow found its way to Providence's Wright Jr. in the corner, and his buzzer-beating circus shot would count, slimming the Carroll lead to 51-46 at the break.

The Saints would cool off in the second half, but not by much. Another strong offensive frame would see the Saints shoot 55 percent from the floor (15-27), bringing their total to 61 percent on the night, as they posted another 50 points in the second half to secure the win.

A trio of Carroll freshmen, Crane, Harrison, and Round, would spoil the Senior night for the Argos. The three players combined for 35 points in the second half, going 11-18 from the floor and 5-9 from deep to help the Saints pull away.

Harrison made the most of his first start, matching his first half effort with another 3-4 frame from three-point range leading to a career-best 21 points.

Crane strengthened his grip on the Frontier Conference scoring lead, scoring a career-high 30 points in a brilliant offensive showcase. He scored 16 of his game-high 30 points in the second half, finishing his night with a highly impressive 10-13 effort from the floor, while going 3-4 from deep, and 7-8 at the line.

Carroll built a lead as large as 15 points at the 12:00 mark, but the Argos wouldn't call it quits. Providence's Antoine Boyd Jr. scored seven-straight around the five minute mark, capped with a fast break dunk to bring the Argos withing two scores at 84-78. The Saints responded with an 8-0 run over the next minute and a half to quiet the crowd, then converted their opportunities at the line down the stretch to walk out of the McLaughlin Center with the big win.

Crane and Harrison's career nights were not the only impressive individual performances. Isaac Round finished with 18 points while going 4-7 from range, and Derek Kramer added an 11 point, 12 rebound double-double in the win.

The 61 percent team shooting night was the best of the season for the Saints, who kept pace with both Rocky Mountain College and Montana Western as all three teams won this evening.

The three teams remain deadlocked for third in the conference standings, and all earned a game back from the current Frontier leaders with both Providence and Montana Tech losing on the night. With just three regular season games remaining, Carroll, Rocky, and Western sit two games back from both Montana Tech and Providence, adding intrigue to the battle for the Frontier title and the two first round byes in the upcoming conference tournament.

Saturday's 4 p.m. showdown in Helena with No. 15 Montana Tech just got a whole lot more interesting, as the surging Saints look to build momentum heading into the postseason against a Tech side who will enter the weekend on a three-game skid.

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

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