In a competitive Frontier Conference matchup, the No. 25 Carroll Fighting Saints pulled away late to earn a 71-61 victory over the (RV) Montana State University-Northern Skylights on Valentine's Day. The game featured back-and-forth action for most of the night, but Carroll's strong finish in the fourth quarter ultimately made the difference.

The first half was tightly contested. The Skylights came out aggressive, hitting timely baskets and shooting well from three, while Carroll responded with balanced scoring and physical defense. By halftime the teams remained close, with Northern leading or tied at stretches thanks to efforts from Lauren Gunn and Becky Melcher.

After the break, both teams continued to trade blows. Carroll chipped away at the Skylights' advantage in the third quarter and took control early in the fourth. Behind efficient scoring and key rebounds, Carroll outscored Northern 25-17 in the final period to pull away and secure the win.

Carroll's offense was led by Willa Albrecht, who poured in 21 points on highly efficient shooting to anchor the Saints' attack. Kenzie Allen added 12 points and four assists, while contributions from Meagan Karstetter, Jillian Kanduch, and Isabelle Erickson helped sustain Carroll's balanced scoring.

For Northern, Lauren Gunn led the Skylights with 15 points, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc, and Becky Melcher contributed 12 points and three steals. **Addie Kiefer chipped in with a solid performance on the boards, finishing with 10 rebounds. Despite shooting well from three (42.9 percent as a team), Northern couldn't overcome turnovers and Carroll's late run.

The Skylights drop to 16-9 overall and 12-8 in Conference. The Skylights will be at home next weekend at for Host parent night and senior night.