WAUKESHA, Wis. - Challenging nonconference games can often serve a greater purpose by forcing a young team to mature quickly, compete with a sense of urgency and show glimpses of its potential.
The Carroll University women's basketball team learned that lesson firsthand as it lost to No. 12-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 84-51 in a nonconference showdown at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the third nonconference loss to a nationally-ranked opponent (also including No. 22 Calvin College and No. 24 University of Chicago) for Carroll, which dropped to 0-7 overall.
UW-Oshkosh, which improved to 4-0 overall, outscored the Pioneers 41-17 in the first half - highlighted by what proved to be a decisive 25-9 run in the opening quarter.
Despite the difficult outcome, Carroll's slow, steady progression came to the forefront as the Pioneers scored the most points of any team to face UW-Oshkosh this season.
Junior guard Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.) contributed a team-high 16 points, nine rebounds, three assists and a steal for Carroll, which converted five baskets from 3-point range and 12 of 21 free throws.
Wald, one of two juniors on the roster this season, made a 3-pointer from the right side of the perimeter to trim the deficit to 29-12 with 8:11 remaining in the second quarter.
"This was the best team we've played and we answered the challenge with our best effort of the season," said Wald, who entered the contest as the team's leading scorer by averaging 17.6 points per game. "Today, we worked hard the entire way and showed that we're getting there. We're learning that we have the ability to frustrate teams at times on both ends of the floor. If we continue to progress at that rate, we're gonna surprise some people as the year goes on.
"Coming into the season, we really didn't know what to expect so its been exciting to watch the progression of the team. We're super young but I've never been on a team that works as hard as we do. Being a little short on players, everyone is playing a lot of minutes and gaining experience with each game. We still have to work through the fatigue but we're excited about where things are going. We might have lost but it was an awesome experience watching the team take another step forward."
Freshman guard Caylee Koker (Kenosha, Wis.) followed with 10 points and junior forward Morgan Lund (Mondovi, Wis.) had nine points for the Pioneers.
Freshman guard/forward Hannah Kloehn (Marshfield, Wis.) had seven points and sophomore guard Sara Hartl (Racine, Wis.) added six points.
Carroll University first-year head coach Lindsay Schultz is proud of how her team has worked through the adversity and continues to learn each time it steps on the floor.
"We've been battle tested throughout the first seven games of the season," said Schultz, whose team committed only 14 turnovers and limited the high-powered Titans to four offensive rebounds. "From the beginning, we've been going up against some of the best teams in the nation night in and night out so I've been very impressed with our resilience. That ability to bounce back each time and compete hard has played a big part in our progress.
"UW-Oshkosh was the best defensive team that we've faced all year and we not only scored the most of anyone but limited the amount of turnovers. We're just going to continue to work hard every time we take the court, take it possession by possession and continue to grow. It's truly exciting to see the progress taking place."
Junior guard Emma Melotik scored a team, high 15 points to lead UW-Oshkosh, which made 10 3-pointers, 16 of 20 free throws and shot a blazing 63 percent from field-goal range.
PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to No. 12-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh 84-51 in a nonconference game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Scoring Leaders: Brittney Wald (16 points), Caylee Koker (10 points), Morgan Lund (9 points), Hannah Kloehn (7 points), Sara Hartl (6 points)
Notable: Carroll has faced three nationally-ranked teams (also including No. 24 Calvin College and No. 25 University of Chicago) within its opening seven nonconference games this season.
