WAUKESHA, Wis. - As Lindsay Schultz walked out on the court as head coach for the season opener, a new era began for the Carroll University women's basketball program.
Despite a valiant, hard-fought debut performance, hopes for a victory celebration to commemorate the occasion slipped away in the second half as Carroll lost to longtime rival St. Norbert College 76-49 in a nonconference game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday evening.
The Pioneers trailed 30-27 at halftime but were outscored 46-22 in the second half - including what proved to be a decisive 28-15 run in the third quarter.
The run was propelled by a key, momentum-building 16-9 spurt over the course of the opening five minutes of the period.
Senior center Mallory Nickerson asserted herself inside during the critical stretch, scoring eight points for high-powered St. Norbert - the defending Midwest Conference champion which earned an NCAA Division III tournament berth last year.
It proved to be the backbreaker as Carroll gradually fell out of rhythm and struggled to get back on track the rest of the way.
The Green Knights outscored the Pioneers 18-7 in the fourth quarter.
Junior 5-foot-6 point guard Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.) had a double-double to help power the energized effort for Carroll - contributing a team-high 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and a steal in playing 36 minutes.
Wald, one of two juniors on the young roster this season, had nine points in the second quarter as the Pioneers outscored the Green Knights 18-8 to erase an early 22-9 deficit - highlighted by a mid-range jumper from the middle of the lane to trim the lead to 28-21 with 2:48 remaining in the first half.
Sophomore guard Meredith Polzin (Pewaukee, Wis.) capped Carroll's impressive, second-quarter comeback by converting back-to-back 3-point baskets within the final two minutes to pull the Pioneers within three points at the intermission.
Polzin contributed nine points - including three 3-pointers - for Carroll, which made six 3-pointers and 5 of 10 free throws. Junior forward Morgan Lund (Mondovi, Wis.) had seven points, five rebounds and three assists.
Sophomore guard Sara Hartl (Racine, Wis.), freshman guard/forward Hannah Kloehn (Marshfield) and freshman guard Caylee Koker (Kenosha, Wis.) each added five points.
For Schultz, getting the opportunity to go head-to-head against a traditionally strong, nationally recognized program to begin the season was invaluable.
"It was a really great learning experience to come out and face a veteran tournament-caliber team (consisting of four returning starters) in the season opener," said Schultz, of her squad's challenging debut. "We had an awesome second quarter, fought back from an early deficit and gradually found our rhythm offensively to get back in the game. During that stretch, we had some good defensive stops and I was very impressed with how we responded to the situation by attacking the rim and moving the ball well off the penetration."
Schultz used an eight-player rotation to help her young squad get accustomed to competing at the collegiate level.
"Having only two players with starting experience (referring to Wald and Lund), we're still learning about the conditioning, how to push through the fatigue and what it takes to perform at game speed. There were times when we fought through it but then it eventually began to take take its toll at times during stretches in the second half.
"Looking back, it was exciting and I feel very blessed to have been able to walk out on the court with this group for my first game as head coach. They represented Carroll University well by showcasing their work ethic and competitive spirit."
Senior guard Regan Carmichael scored a game-high 20 points for St. Norbert, which made 10 of 15 free throws and converted six 3-pointers. Nickerson followed with 13 points and senior guard/forward Brianna Byrne had 12 points for the Green Knights, who shot 50 percent from field-goal range and outrebounded Carroll 38-34 - maintaining a 30-24 advantage on the defensive glass.
PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to St. Norbert College 76-49 in a season-opening nonconference game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday evening.
Scoring Leaders: Brittney Wald (14 points), Meredith Polzin (9 points), Morgan Lund (7 points), Sara Hartl (5 points), Hannah Kloehn (5 points), Caylee Koker (5 points)
Rebound Leaders: Wald (12), Hartl (5), Lund (5), Koker (4), Jordyn Giese (4)
Notable: The Pioneers outscored high-powered St. Norbert 18-8 in the second quarter, trailed 30-27 at halftime but yielded a decisive 28-15 third-quarter run
