WAUKESHA, Wis. - The Carroll University women's basketball team continued its positive rebuilding process as it lost to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville 78-73 in a gritty, hard-fought game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
It was a season-high point total for steadily improving Carroll, which led 38-36 at the intermission but yielded a key 12-2 run over the course of the opening five minutes of the third quarter.
Senior guard Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.) scored seven of her individual season-high 19 points in the fourth quarter to help power a comeback for the Pioneers, who dropped to 1-6 overall.
UW-Platteville, which competes in the traditionally strong, high-powered Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, snapped a two-game losing streak while improving to 3-4 overall.
Sara Hartl, a 5-foot-6 junior guard  from Racine, Wis., followed with a season-best 18 points with four 3-point baskets in playing 30 minutes for Carroll, which made seven 3-pointers and 8 of 12 free throws. 
Hartl had 10 points in the final period to complete an effective 1-2 fourth-quarter scoring punch for the Pioneers, highlighted by a pressure-packed jump shot to trim the deficit to 57-56 with 9:45 remaining.
Carroll struggled to maintain the momentum and surrendered what proved to be a decisive 8-0 run over the next four minutes.
"I'm proud of how we played but we need to focus on the little things, consistently execute and take that extra step in order to be successful," said Hartl, who converted a long-range 3-pointer from the right side of the perimeter to cut the lead to 73-70 with 51.2 seconds remaining. "At this point, we're approaching each challenge with a positive mindset and working hard to carry over our effort from practice into the game situation. I believe in this team, love being a part of it and know we can accomplish a lot of great things if we continue to fight hard every time we step on the court.
"With the amount of high-caliber teams in our conference (referring to the CCIW), every night is a difficult test so we have to have a thick skin and learn from each experience. This type of performance (against a WIAC opponent) was a great motivator that will only help in that regard. Tonight, my shot happened to be falling and it was great to show that we have the ability to battle through the adversity and come back. That said, it's all about the team and getting a victory in the end. We're close and know good things are coming if we continue to work together."
Junior guard/forward Rachel Van Sluys (Sheboygan, Wis.) followed with 13 points and nine rebounds through 19 minutes in making a successful season debut for Carroll.
Van Sluys, a first-team all-conference soccer player in the CCIW the past two seasons (including CCIW Player of the Year honors in 2016), converted an inside basket to cut the deficit to 54-52 with 1:42 left in the third quarter.
Freshman forward Katie Rossetti  (Wauconda, Ill.) registered her second double-double in the last three games by finishing with 11 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two assists.
Carroll, which shot 42.6 percent from field-goal range, outrebounded tall UW-Platteville 44-39 - maintaining a 30-28 advantage on the defensive glass. 
"We continue to improve each time we step on the court," said Carroll second-year head coach Lindsay Schultz, whose starting five consisted of one senior and four freshmen. "At times, we showed our youth against a veteran team but the primary goal remains to put together a consistent offensive and defensive effort for 40 minutes. We can't afford to take any possessions off or have any breakdowns. We're getting close to accomplishing that and it will have a direct impact on our ability to finish games.
"I was a little disappointed with our defensive intensity at times but we were able to stop the bleeding, show our resilience and come back down the stretch. It's been a steady growth process so we just need to learn from the experience and take that next step forward."
Senior guard Blaire Lutes scored a game-high 26 points for UW-Platteville, which made 23 of 35 free throws and forced 24 turnovers. Junior center Allison Prestegaard added 10 points and senior forward Amber Williams pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lot to the University of Wisconsin-Platteville 78-73 in a nonconference game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday.
Record: 1-6 overall
Scoring Leaders: Brittney Wald (19 points), Sara Hartl (18 points), Rachel Van Sluys (13 points), Katie Rossetti (11 points)
Notable: Carroll trailed 57-56 with 9:45 remaining in the fourth quarter but yielded a decisive 8-0 run over a four-minute stretch and couldn't complete a comeback.