WAUKESHA, Wis. - Young, hungry teams often struggle to maintain a level of consistency over the course of a long, demanding season.
That fact came to the forefront as the Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Elmhurst College 76-42 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
It was the fifth consecutive conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 2-7 in the league standings and 5-13 overall.
Elmhurst outscored the Pioneers 30-17 in the opening half.
Carroll led 10-9 after the opening seven minutes but gradually lost momentum and yielded what became a decisive 21-3 run over the course of a key 14-minute stretch in the first half - beginning with a 3-point basket with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
"Anytime you have so many young players on the roster (referring to the 12 underclassmen on the 15-player roster), it's naturally going to result in some ups and downs throughout the learning process," said Carroll second-year head coach
Lindsay Schultz, whose starting five was comprised of one senior and four freshmen. "Tonight, we just couldn't get anything going offensively in the first half but our defense held strong and battled to keep us in it. That's when Elmhurst responded with some hot shooting in the third quarter to put the game out of reach. We had some chances to convert some shots and stop the bleeding but it just didn't happen.
"Looking beyond this game, I have been very impressed with how we've made the most of each experience and have come back ready for the next challenge. The kids have done a nice job of adjusting to the level of play, competing with confidence and working to develop their individual roles within the system. Although there have been some tough losses along the way, we have grown with each week.
"Right now we're just looking for consistency."
Senior guard
Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.), freshman guard
Anna Menges (Manitowoc, Wis.) and freshman forward Hannah Ohm (Dousman, Wis.) each scored seven points for Carroll, which made three 3-point baskets, 11 of 23 free throws and shot 29.8 percent from field-goal range.
Freshman small forward
Delaney Sjong (Salem, Wis.) followed with six points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Pioneers. Freshman guard/forward
Hailey Herriges (Kewaskum, Wis.) and freshman point guard
Emily Majerus (Plymouth, Wis.) each had five points. Freshman forward
Katie Rossetti (Wauconda, Ill.) added three points, five rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals.
"We've really been working to establish a steady rotation but have struggled to play with a full roster as the result of some key injuries," added Schultz, whose team won three straight games earlier this season to accomplish the feat for the first time since 2014-15. "It's an aspect that has hurt our momentum at times. Hopefully, we can continue to navigate through the situation and get back on track as the season progresses."
Senior forward Kaela Jones scored a game-high 18 points to lead Elmhurst, which improved to 6-3 in conference and 10-8 overall. Sophomore guard/forward Georgia Garvie contributed 16 points with four 3-pointers for the Bluejays, who converted 11 3-pointers, 11 of 14 free throws and shot 39.7 percent from the field.
Elmhurst, which generated 21 assists and forced 19 turnovers, outrebounded the Pioneers 49-32 in the contest - including a 17-7 advantage on the offensive glass.
PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Elmhurst College 76-42 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin showdown at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
Record: 2-7 in conference and 5-13 overall
Scoring Leaders: Brittney Wald (7 points), Anna Menges (7 points), Hannah Ohm (7 points), Delaney Sjong (6 points), Hailey Herriges (5 points), Emily Majerus (5 points)
Rebound Leaders: Sjong (10), Katie Rossetti (5), Ohm (4)
Notable: Carroll led 10-9 after the opening seven minutes but gradually lost momentum and yielded what became a decisive 21-3 run over the course of a key 14-minute stretch in the first half.
