HELENA — Ryan Imhoff had 16 points and 11 rebounds, securing another double-double, as No. 6 Carroll College routed No. 11 Montana Western 82-62 on Saturday evening at the P.E. Center. The Fighting Saints and Bulldogs each took a share of the Frontier Conference regular season title, but Carroll earns the league’s No. 1 seed entering the playoffs due to the head-to-head tiebreaker.
Imhoff went 7-10 from the floor and added two assists and two steals for Carroll, which was in control from the beginning. Ive Kalejaiye added 15 points and Matt Wyman 14 for the Fighting Saints, which ended the regular season on a two-game winning streak. Carroll has won eight of its last nine.
Western was out of sync for much of the game, but Brandon Jones managed a game-high 18 points to go with his six rebounds. Jones hit six of seven field goals, but couldn’t will the Bulldogs back into the contest. No other Western player reached double figures. Western star point guard Dom Robinson was held to just three points on 1-8 shooting, and didn’t play a majority of the minutes down the stretch.
Carroll never trailed in the game, stretching its lead to as many as 24 in the second half. The Saints shot 58 percent from the floor, holding Western to 42 percent. Carroll dominated the glass, out-rebounding the Bulldogs 43-19, and led the assist category 13-4.
Carroll receives a bye in the upcoming Frontier Conference playoffs, while Montana Western welcomes Montana Tech on Tuesday in the quarterfinals. The league championship is slated for Monday evening.
Saturday evening also saw the Montana Western women defeat Carroll College 51-42, though the Fighting Saints already won the regular season title and clinched the top seed in the upcoming playoffs. The Bulldogs earned the No. 2 seed.
