January 2, 2026
HELENA, Mont. – Dakota State (S.D.) came up just short on the road Friday evening, falling 82–81 to No. 15 ranked Carroll (Mont.) in a tightly contested Frontier Conference match up at the PE Center. A total of 11 ties and 15 lead changes were registered in the game as the Fighting Saints remained undefeated in league play.
Dakota State (11-2 overall, 6-2 Frontier) trailed 39–36 at halftime before outscoring the Saints 45–43 after the break. Despite the strong second-half response, Carroll (10-3 overall record, 8-0 Frontier) held on in the closing seconds to secure the win.
The Trojans took the lead at 81-80 as
Nathan Ojukwu hit a layup (assisted by
Desman Botts) with five seconds left. The Saints then quickly threw a long pass from Drew Jones to Kellen Harrison for the game-winning layup with less than a second remaining, securing an 82-81 thrilling victory.
Trojan Leaders
- Desman Botts delivered a standout performance, scoring a career-high 30 points on 13-of-15 shooting from the floor while adding seven rebounds. His 13-of-15 field goals (86.7 percent) tied for 10th best single game field goal percentage in the school record book with two other former athletes (Randy Cundy – 13-of-15 field goals in 1979-80 versus Sioux Falls, S.D., and Myron Moe – 13-of-15 field goals versus Huron in 1965-66). Botts also collected seven rebounds and three assists.
- Ojukwu added 13 points and seven rebounds for DSU.
- Tyler Beckwith finished with 11 points, hitting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc. He had four rebounds and two steals.
- Brayden Pankonen chipped in nine points and dished out three assists. Kaleel Sutton-White scored eight points and stole the ball three times.
Dakota State shot 56.4 percent (31-of-55 field goals) from the field and 6-of-18 from three-point range but went 13-of-18 at the free-throw line. The Trojans grabbed 34 rebounds.
Carroll Leaders
- Isaac Round led the Saints with 20 points on his 6-of-10 field goals, 4-of-8 3-pointers, and 4-of-5 free-throws. He had four assists.
- Isaiah Crane followed with 18 points on his 7-of-13 field goals. Nate Christy scored 15 points and Harrison with 11 points.
- Five players – Round, Crane, Harrison, Lorence Dela Crz, and Jones – each had two steals.
- Carroll totaled 24 rebounds and made 16 free throws.
The Fighting Saints shot 30-of-59 from the field (50.8 percent) and 6-of-13 from the 3-point line.
By the Numbers
- Rebounds: Dakota State 34, Carroll 24
- Assists: Dakota State 19, Carroll 13
- Turnovers: Dakota State 22, Carroll 12
- Blocks: Dakota State 1, Carroll 1
- Steals: Dakota State 7, Carroll 13
Score by Half
- 1st Half: Carroll 39, Dakota State 36
- 2nd Half: Dakota State 45, Carroll 43
Dakota State stays on the road for another Frontier Conference contest Saturday evening, visiting (RV) Rocky Mountain (Mont.). The game is set for 8 p.m. (Central Time)/7 p.m. (Mountain Time) at Fortin Education Center in Billings, Mont.
