HELENA, Mont. — After eight ties and seven lead changes, the Carroll Fighting Saints were able to hold off Pacific 62-55 at the PE Center on Monday evening.

The Fighting Saints, No. 25 in the NAIA Division I Coaches Poll, trailed the Boxers early as Pacific sht out to a six-point lead over the opening four minutes of play. Megan Wesel's (Winchester, Calif.) jumper at 6:21 gave Pacific an 8-2 lead before the Fighting Saints rattled off a run that pulled Carroll within two points of the visitors.

The two-point Boxers lead was extend at 4:23 in the first period as Karli McHone (Glenns Ferry, Idaho) hit a 3-pointer to put the Boxers up by five. The final basket of the quarter came at 1:10 when Carroll's Taylor Salonen helped the Fighting Saints cut the Boxers advantage to four before the period expired with Pacific up 16-12.

The first tie of the evening came at 6:28 in the second period, but Pacific recovered to regain the lead over the next two minutes thanks to 3-point makes by McHone and Lauren Lykins (Hillsboro, Ore.). Lykins' three was followed by six-straight Carroll points, giving Carroll its first lead of the game. The back-and-forth battle in the second period continued, until Lykins hit a free throw with 45 seconds remaining in the half to give Pacific a 29-28 lead, which it would hold heading into the lockeroom for halftime.

The second half continued the battle between the two sides with Carroll taking an early lead, before the score tied four times in the first seven minutes of the second half. The fourth tie in the first half and seventh of the game came at 4:33 when Oona Harrington's made free throws gave Carroll a tie and then the lead at 40-39. Carroll's lead reached six as the period came to an end.

Sarah Curl (Portland, Ore.) and McHone outscored Carroll 9-3 in the first six minutes of the fourth quarter, tying the score at 51-51. Carroll regained the lead on a Bailey Pasta 3-pointer and never looked back, finishing the night with a 62-55 home victory.

Curl was Pacific's leading scorer with 16 points, while McHone finished with 15 of her own. McHone added to her stat line with six assists and a pair of rebounds. Nikki Gilbert (East Wenatchee, Wash.) led Pacific with eight rebounds as the Boxers led Carroll 39-37 in the rebound column.

The Boxers return to action on December 30th in Redding, Calif. The Boxers will meet the Simpson Redhawks at 7 p.m. on the 30th, before playing again the next day at 2 p.m.