The Basics
Score: No. 4 Montana Western 50 – No. 7 Carroll College 54
Record: UMW (25-4, 15-3), CC (25-7, 14-4)
Location: Straugh Gymnasium - Dillon, Mont. 

The Montana Western Bulldogs fell 54-50 to the Fighting Saints of Carroll College Monday night in the Frontier Conference playoffs championship game. The Bulldogs and Saints battled in a back-and-forth affair that saw five lead changes and six ties. After trailing for most of the first quarter, the Bulldogs used a strong second quarter to comeback and build a seven point lead. The teams traded buckets for most of the third quarter until Hannah Dean hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cut the Western lead to two and swing the momentum over to the Saints. The Saints took the lead for good with just over three minutes remaining in the game as the Bulldogs struggled to get shots to fall down the stretch.

• Brianna King led all scorers with 22 points. She added eight rebounds, four steals, and two assists. 
• Britt Cooper scored eight points, seven rebounds, and three assists. 
• Hannah Dean scored 18 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two blocks to lead the Saints. 
• Brittney Johnson scored 16 points and three rebounds for Carroll. 

Inside the Box Score

• The Bulldogs shot just 32 percent from the floor and 28.6 percent from long-range. 

The Bulldogs will learn their next opponent on Wednesday March. 6, when the NAIA releases the bracket for the 2019 NAIA national tournament. The tournament will take place March 13-19 in Billings, Mont.