The No. 10 Providence Argos and Carroll College Fighting Saints will square off in the Frontier Conference men's basketball championship on Tuesday after both teams earned semifinal wins on Saturday.
Providence 63, MSU-Northern 56
GREAT FALLS -- Despite not holding the lead for most of the first half, the No. 10 University of Providence Argos pulled together a win over the Montana State-Northern Lights, 63-56, on Saturday.
The Lights’ first-half lead was thanks more in part to the number of shots they took in the first half than the ones they made, going 12 of 34 from the field and just 1 of 15 from 3-point range.
The second half was one of shifting tides, as the Argos pulled away to an 11-point lead with just over 8:30 left in the half, but the Lights refused to go down that easy.
Just over six minutes later, the Lights were able to get the score back to just a one-point deficit at 57-56 with two minutes to go. But the Argos took the game into their hands and ran off on a 6-0 run to end the game at 63-56. Shooting woes continued to plague the Lights as they finished the night making just one of their 25 3-point shot attempts.
Zaccheus Darko-Kelly finished the game one rebound short of a double-double with 18 points and nine rebounds for the Argos. David Harris finished the Lights season by putting up a game-high 21 points and six rebounds.
The Lights finish the year at 8-12. The Argos will move onto the Frontier Conference championship and will host the Carroll College Fighting Saints on Tuesday.
Carroll College 67, Montana Tech 62
HELENA -- In a back-and-forth affair, the Carroll College men pulled out a win over the Montana Tech Orediggers, 67-62, to move onto the Frontier Conference final.
The Fighting Saints and the Orediggers battled through the first half with neither team able to pull away by more than a few points, but through 20 minutes of play the Fighting Saints were ahead by a singular point at 35-34.
The Montana Tech men went on a 12-2 run through the first six minutes of the second half to put the Orediggers out in front 46-37. The Fighting Saints chipped away at that deficit and took the lead with nine minutes to go and never relinquished it.
Jovan Sljivancanin moved the needle for the Saints, leading Carroll with 15 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Sindou Diallo led the Orediggers with 18 points, two rebounds and two assists.
Carroll will now head to Great Falls to take on the No. 10 University of Providence Argos in the Frontier Conference championship on Tuesday.
