HELENA — Just over a year removed from their top-10 match-up in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, the No. 4 Carroll College Fighting Saints (1-1) and the No.1 Thomas More Saints (1-0) met for a rematch in Big Sky Country with the Saints coming back after an early deficit to win 62-54.
Off the opening jump, Carroll College caught fire taking a 9-0 lead behind four-quick points from Jamie Pickens and some lockdown defense. Searching for answers, Thomas More turned to Courtney Hurst who put up 6 first-quarter points to keep the Saints' deficit to just nine points through ten minutes of play.
Pickens ended the night with a team-high 15 points and 11 rebounds; Hurst led the game with 20 points while shooting 55% from three-point range
The second quarter started in a similar fashion to the first, with Carroll expounding on their lead behind a couple of shots from Addi Ekstrom to the tune of a 25-12 lead with just over six and a half minutes left to play in the first half. However, that's where the positives from the first half stopped for Carroll College.
Following a Pickens layup at the 5:41 mark in the second quarter, Thomas More went on an 11-0 run to take the lead into the locker room at 28-27.
Carroll College posted 41 team rebounds to Thomas More's 21 and posted four more assists in the effort, but the Fighting Saints lost the turnover battle and accrued more fouls than the Saints recording six more apiece.
The second half was a game of runs, namely which team was going to be on one at the end of the game. Carroll's Sienna Swannach and Maddie Gerritz knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to open the third quarter, but Thomas More's offense spread the ball efficiently with five players putting up points in the third quarter to give the Saints a 47-53 lead with just a quarter to play.
The fourth saw solid defense from both teams, but Thomas More was just too strong for Carroll College, coming back to win 62-54.
Thomas More moves to 2-0 on the year and will stay in Montana for one more tilt against the University of Providence on Saturday at 6 p.m.
Carroll College will now fall to 1-2 on the season and head back out on the road for a matchup against Grace College in Indiana on Nov. 9.
