FULLERTON, Calif. (Interstat) — Carroll opened its men’s NAIA basketball season with a 74-70 victory over Hope International on Oct. 24 at Darling Pavilion. The Fighting Saints improved to 1-0, while the Royals fell to 0-1 in a game that stayed close throughout. Carroll led 39-37 after the first quarter and added 35 points over the rest of the game, while Hope International scored 33 over the remainder.

Carroll finished with a 34-25 rebounding advantage, including seven offensive rebounds apiece. The Fighting Saints shot 24 of 52 from the floor, 9 of 22 from 3-point range and 17 of 21 from the free-throw line. Hope International shot 28 of 65 overall, 7 of 23 from beyond the arc and 7 of 12 from the line. Carroll’s free-throw advantage stood at 17 made free throws to seven for Hope International. Hope International had nine assists to Carroll’s six and blocked two shots. Carroll committed 18 turnovers, while Hope International committed nine. Carroll was called for 16 fouls, and Hope International was called for 24. Both teams had 73 possessions; Carroll posted an offensive rating of 101.4 and Hope International finished at 96.3.

Isaac Round sparked Carroll with layups, 3-point jump shots and free throws. Drew Jones added layups, 3-pointers and free throws, including important second-quarter production. Chinedu Nwankwo paced Hope International with layups and free throws. Jacob Harper scored on layups, jumpers and a 3-pointer for the Royals. Kellen Harrison knocked down 3-pointers and scored on layups for Carroll. Addy G’Bye hit a 3-pointer and made layups for Hope International. Viktor Bystrom contributed layups and a free throw for the Fighting Saints. Jason Hilliard made 3-pointers, a layup and a dunk for the Royals. Nate Christy scored on layups and made free throws for Carroll. Justin Blair added a 3-pointer and a layup for Hope International. Jaedon Anderson also made a layup and a 3-pointer for the Royals, and Josiah Cuaresma hit a jump shot for Carroll.

The first quarter moved quickly, with both teams trading baskets. Harrison opened Carroll’s scoring from beyond the arc, Round followed with a layup and two 3-pointers, and Harrison added another 3-pointer. Hope International answered through G’Bye and Harper from long range, and Hilliard made two 3-pointers and a dunk. Late in the quarter, Christy scored twice inside and made a free throw, while Round added a layup. Hope International stayed close behind Nwankwo’s free throws and Anderson’s layup and 3-pointer. Gavin Gross made a free throw for Carroll in the opening quarter, and Devin Payne made jump shots for Hope International.

The second quarter brought Jones into a larger role. He made consecutive layups, converted a three-point play and later hit two 3-pointers. Round continued to score on layups and a 3-pointer, while Bystrom added layups and a free throw. Hope International remained within striking distance as Harper made jumpers, layups and a 3-pointer, and Payne hit several jump shots. Nwankwo also converted layups and free throws, and Blair scored on a layup. Carroll closed the second quarter with Bystrom’s free throw and Jones’s free throw after Harper’s late layup.

Carroll held the rebounding edge and made 17 free throws, while Hope International made seven. Hope International had nine assists to Carroll’s six and committed nine turnovers to Carroll’s 18. Carroll made nine 3-pointers, and Hope International made seven. The Royals scored 33 points after the first quarter, and the Fighting Saints scored 35. Carroll answered Hope International’s second-quarter baskets with scoring from Jones, Round and Bystrom.

Carroll will next face Northwest at home before home games against Rocky Mountain and Montana St-Northern. Hope International will travel to Southern Oregon before hosting Stanton and Embry-Riddle.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Carroll 76, Hope International 70. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Hope International with a 78.9 percent probability to win.