DILLON, Mont. - The Carroll Men's Basketball team dropped their final of three regular season games against Montana Western, 92-82 at the Straugh Gymnasium on Saturday.

The Fighting Saints (10-14, 5-6) couldn't find a way to slow down the Bulldogs on Saturday afternoon, as Western shot better than 50 percent from the floor and nearly 50 percent from three.

Western opened the game on a quick 14-4 run, forcing Carroll to play catch-up right from the opening tip. Carroll methodically worked their way into the game, responding with a run of their own near the midway point of the half. Lorence Dela Cruz (Winnipeg, Manitoba / JR) and Kellen Harrison (Bozeman, Mont. / FR) provided a spark off the bench, spurring a 19-4 Carroll run that would give the Saints a three-point lead with 12:00 left in the frame.

The Saints would build a lead as large as six points in the first half, but Western would grab control near the break with a last second three to bring a six-point lead of their own into the half, 47-41.

James Lang (Portland, Ore. / R-JR) went 4-5 from the floor in the opening half, leading the Saints with 10 points, while Western's Jalyn Stepney went 6-12 from three-point range for 18 first half points.

Back-to-back buckets from the Frontier's leading scorer, Isaiah Crane (Portland, Ore. / R-FR), at the 15:00 mark would bring the Saints within one point, 58-57. From there, the teams would exhange buckets over the next six minutes until Carroll could finally pull even. Isaac Round (Northampton, England / FR) tied the game at 69-69 with a layup, but the Saints would fail to go ahead the remainder of the game.

Five-straight points from Kyle Allen would give the Bulldogs an eight point lead with five to play, and Carroll would be unable to overcome the run. Free throws down the stretch would lock up the win for Western, 92-82.

Crane led the Saints with 16 points and six assists in the loss, while Lang and Round each added 14. Kellen Harrison led a bench effort from the Saints that out-scored Western's bench 27-9 with 13 points.

The Bulldogs had five players score in double figures, led by Stepney's 28, and Abi Adedo's 18 points.

Carroll will now play their first Thursday night road game of the Frontier slate, taking on Providence at 7 p.m. in Great Falls.

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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