Carroll College Men Defeat Bushnell 78-51 in Home Opener at the PE Center
The 20th-ranked Carroll College men’s basketball team opened its home slate with a 78-51 victory over Bushnell on Wednesday evening at the PE Center in Helena, carrollathletics.com reported. Following a successful opening weekend in California, the Fighting Saints jumped out to a 12-2 lead in the first five minutes and led coast-to-coast to improve to 3-0 on the young season, while the Beacons dropped to 0-1.
Isaac Round paced the Saints with a game-high 22 points, marking his second straight game surpassing the 20-point threshold. The junior from Northampton, England, shot 4-5 from range and finished 9-13 from the field overall, showcasing the efficient offensive rhythm that carried the hosts throughout the contest.
Balanced Scoring and Defensive Pressure Fuel the Saints
Carroll built an 18-point advantage by halftime, leading 38-20 after all nine players who saw first-half action contributed at least two points. Drew Jones, recognized as the Frontier Conference Freshman of the Year, added 14 points, six assists, four steals, and three rebounds on 7-14 shooting for the Saints, as reported by 406mtsports.com.
Despite committing 19 turnovers across the game, Carroll capitalized on defensive disruption, forcing 10 Bushnell turnovers in the opening 20 minutes alone. Kellen Harrison led all players with five steals, while Jones added four.
The Saints shot over 50 percent from the floor in the first half at 51.6 percent and elevated their efficiency to 62 percent in the second half by hitting 18 of 29 shots. Defensively, Carroll held the Beacons to 31 percent shooting for the game, including a 7-31 mark in the first half.
Saints Stop Bushnell Push to Maintain Lead
Bushnell mounted a brief push in the second half, narrowing Carroll’s 20-point lead to 11 at the 14:37 mark. The Saints responded immediately, preventing the visitors from getting within 10 points for the remainder of the night.
Viktor Bystrom contributed eight points and a team-high eight rebounds in his home debut, highlighted by a second-half dunk over traffic and two blocks. Josiah Cuaresma added 11 points on 5-6 shooting.
Carroll struggled at the free-throw line, converting just 5 of 12 attempts for 41.7 percent. The Saints will enjoy a free weekend before traveling to Caldwell, Idaho, to face Northwest (Wash.) and the 16th-ranked College of Idaho on November 6, 2026, with tipoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
