HELENA, Mont. - Looking to bounce back from a pair of frustrating losses in Florida, the No. 24-ranked Carroll Women's Basketball team started 2026 with a thrilling 65-63 win over No. 4 Dakota State with a last second bucket sealing the win at the CC PE Center on Friday evening.

Leading by seven with three minutes remaining, the Fighting Saints (8-6, 6-2) saw the Trojans (11-2, 6-2) make a steady comeback to eventually tie the game at 63-63 with just eight seconds remaining. 

The late game comeback effort by Dakota State was eerily similar to a 10-point lead against Rochester Christian two weeks ago in Daytona Beach, as clutch shooting and increased pressure on the defensive end brought the Trojans right back in the mix.

That one tough loss two weeks ago, however, helped prepare the Saints for a response on Friday. The setback at the Daytona Beach Shootout boiled down to missed opportunities, but a resilient Carroll team found a way to get it done against the previously unbeaten Trojans, and keep themselves just one game back of the top spot in the Frontier standings.

Willa Albrecht (Billings, Mont. / R-SR), a 2024-25 All-Frontier selection, showed her mettle in the final seconds. The lengthy guard took control with the clock winding down, driving left and knocking down perhaps the most clutch shot of her career, from just outside the block with less than a second remaining in the ballgame.

Albrecht's game-winner put a bow on a night to remember, as she became the 25th member of the CCWBB 1,000-point club with a 16-point effort that also saw her finish with four rebounds, four assists, and three steals.

A tight game throughout, the Saints entered the second half trailing by seven. Jillian Kanduch (Miles City, Mont. / FR) helped turn the tide for the Saints though, knocking down a pair of three's out of the break as part of her game, and career-high 24-point effort.

Meagan Karstetter (Moses Lake, Wash. / SR) was the lone other Saint to score in double figures, finishing her night with 10 points, six rebounds, and a steal.

For the second-straight year, the Saints have knocked-off a Top-five opponent. Nearly one year removed from the day, Carroll opened Frontier play with a win over No. 5 Providence at the PE Center. They'll now look to build off the big win, and will wrap up the weekend back-to-back with a 5 p.m. showdown with Bellevue tomorrow night at the PE Center.