HELENA — For the first time since November of 2020, the Carroll College Men's and Women's basketball teams picked up wins at home.
This time it was over the Montana Western Bulldogs in an 81-75 win for the women, and an 81-73 win for the men.
In the women's game, Carroll jumped out to a 14-2 lead in the first quarter and led 23-14 before Montana Western was able to settle into the game.
Then it became a question of whether or not the Carroll College lead could withstand Western's Brynley Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald scored 37 points, and contributed 2 rebounds, and 2 assists.
Despite Fitzgerald's stellar outing, the Fighting Saints were able to lead wire-to-wire and down the Bulldogs in their first home game since November 28, when they nearly scored 100 points against Lewis-Clark State.
On the men's side, it was truly a tale of two halves. Through the first half, Montana Western looked dejected, ambling through to a 45-29 deficit. In the second half, when the Bulldogs left the locker room, it was almost as if a new team appeared.
The Bulldogs showed life as they battled through the second quarter, pushing the Fighting Saints to make mistakes. However, the Fighting Saint's lead in the first half was enough to help propel them to victory.
Carroll College's Jovan Sljivancanin led the way for the Fighting Saints with 23 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists, while four more players had double-digit showings as well.
Jalen Hodges had a team-high 17 points and nine rebounds for the Bulldogs.
The Fighting Saints and the Bulldogs will be back at it in the P.E. Center on Sunday with the first game of the doubleheader beginning at 2 p.m.
