DECATUR, Ill. - Freshman point guard Mallory Olszak (Crete, Ill.) converted a critical, momentum-shifting 3-point basket with 2:39 remaining to help lift the Carroll University women's basketball team to a 69-65 victory over Millikin University in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at the Griswold Center on Saturday evening.
It was the first conference victory of the season for Carroll, which snapped a string of back-to-back losses to improve to 1-1 in the league standings and 2-6 overall.
The dramatic, come-from-behind performance took on added signifiance as it ended a 13-game conference losing streak dating back to last season.
Trailing 56-46 at the end of the third quarter, the Pioneers showcased their growth, composure and resilience by responding with a decisive 23-9 fourth-quarter run - including nine unanswered points over the course of a key two-minute stretch.
Olszak, who had seven of her nine total points in the fourth quarter and finished with a team-best seven assists, ignited the critical spree with five straight points - highlighted by a jumper to trim the deficit to 60-58 and then followed with the game-changing 3-pointer.
Olszak established position on the left-top portion of the perimeter, quickly took control of a pass and nailed the crucial long-range shot as Carroll took a 61-60 lead.
Senior guard Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.) had four of her nine points during the stretch, including a mid-range jumper and two free throws to extend the lead to 65-60 with 1:26 left.
Millikin fought back to cut the deficit to 66-65 on two free throws by senior guard Devin Curry with 46 seconds remaining but couldn't get any closer.
Carroll sealed the victory on a layup by junior guard/forward Rachel Van Sluys (Sheboygan, Wis.) with 21 seconds left and an eventual final free throw by Olszak.
The Pioneers showcased their depth and balance with eight players reaching the scoring column, including three in double figures.
Van Sluys had a team-high 15 points, eight rebounds, three steals and an assist in her second game back for Carroll, which made three 3-point baskets, 8 of 18 free throws and shot 43.3 percent from field-goal range. Junior guard Sara Hartl (Racine, Wis.) chipped in 11 points with two 3-pointers.
Freshman small forward Delaney Sjong (Salem, Wis.) followed with 10 points and nine rebounds for the Pioneers, who forced 24 turnovers. Freshman forward Katie Rossetti (Wauconda, Ill.) collected six points, freshman power forward Amari Whittington (Kenosha, Wis.) had five points and freshman guard Anna Menges (Manitowoc, Wis.) added four points.
Curry scored a game-high 21 points for Millikin, which lost its third straight to drop to 0-3 in conference and 3-3 overall.