Scoring is exciting, but not scoring can be pretty intense, too. Just ask denizens of Carroll College women's basketball, who were on the edge of their seats for the final 2:04 of the Saints game with Montana State University - Northern.

Carroll's Laci High blocked a shot by Jaci Heny at the buzzer to preserve a 78-77 win as both teams went scoreless over the last 2:04.

"Heny went one-on-one with Laci and jumped into her to try to draw contact, but Laci got a hand on the ball," Carroll coach Shawn Nelson said.

"We just tried to go straight at the basket," Northern coach Mike Erickson said. "Heny tried to create something, but it didn't happen."

After the Skylights scored 10 unanswered points - nine coming on three pointers - to cut Carroll's 11-point lead to 78-77, neither team would score again as the Saints held on for their third straight league win to mover to 3-1 in the Frontier and 16-5 overall. Northern falls to 2-2 and 16-6.

"I thought with an 11-point lead we were all right, but then things just completely fall apart," Carroll coach Shawn Nelson said. "Defensively we didn't get out on their shooters. We have to have that instinct to put teams away. Fortunately it didn't cost us the game."

Carroll's Jolene Fuzesy got hot down the stretch from the perimeter and Sophi Forney made a big play on the defensive end. Forney's basket 4:18 to play to put the Saints up 78-67.

"(Megan Valgardson) just turned right into me after I gave her some space," Forney said of her steal. "I knew they were looking for her."

The physical 6-foot-2 Valgardson was seen punishing Carroll's smaller front line, but got into foul trouble or she may have more than her game-high 20 points. She was seven-for-10 from the floor and six-for-six from the line.

From there, three different Skylights hit three pointers on three successive trips down the floor. Jena Heggum connected at the 4:02 mark, followed by Jessi Reome and Camille Gardner as Carroll found itself in trouble. Kristie Pullin then made a free throw to cut it to 78-77.

Carroll's Emili Woody then missed two shots after grabbing her own misses and lost the ball out of bounds. She was called for charging on the Saints next possession before the Skylights missed an open shot with 1:09 to play. Carroll gave it right back with a turnover on a wild pass before Carly Syverson fouled Pullin with :50 to go.

Pullin missed both free throws, but Woody misfired on a three pointer to give the ball back with :30 remaining. The Skylights worked the clock down to eight seconds before calling a timeout to set up the final play.

Carroll fell behind early as Valgardson scored 13 of her team's 19 points over the first 8:30 of the game. With a 19-10 lead she would pick up her second foul, then her third with 6:37 to go in the half and still leading 23-20.

The Saints took advantage and moved to a 32-31 lead by halftime. For the first of several times in the game Carroll looked to take control early in the second half behind the red-hot shooting of Andrea Hall.

Hall scored 11 straight for Carroll as part of an 11-3 run to put her club up 45-37. The Skylights would cut that lead to four on to see the Saints go on a 9-4 run to push the lead to 57-48.

MSU-N - Jessi Reome 3-10 1-1 8, Camille Gardner 4-8 0-0 10, Jaci Heny 3-6 4-5 10, Michele Van Dyke 4-8 0-1 8, Megan Valgardson 7-10 6-6 20, Heather Riener 1-1 1-1 3, Kristie Pullin 1-4 2-5 4, DeLayne Johnston 2-4 1-3 5, Jena Heggem 3-3 0-1 7, Ashley Trulock 1-1 0-2 2. Totals: 29-55 15-25 77.

CC - Laci High 3-7 1-2 10, Emili Woody 3-9 6-8 14, Carly Syverson 4-14 1-1 11, Rachel Bromily 2-4 0-1 4, Andrea Hall 6-13 2-2 16, Catie Priddy 1-2 0-0 2, Jolene Fuzesy 4-6 2-2 13, Katie Rodgers 1-2 0-0 2, Sophi Forney 1-2 4-8 6. Totals: 25-59 16-24 78.

Three point field goals - MSU-N 4-13 (Garnder 2-5, Reome 1-6, Heggem 1-1), CC 12-24 (Fuzesy 3-4, High 3-5, Woody 2-3, Hall 2-5, Syverson 2-7). Rebounds - MSU-N 31 (Heny 7, Johnston 6), CC 36 (Woody 10, Syverson 6, Forney 6). Assists - MSU-N 18 (Gardner 6), CC 17 (Syverson 9). Turnovers - MSU-N 23, CC 24. Team fouls - MSU-N 17, CC 26.