WAUKESHA, Wis. - Tanner Zaeske caught fire on the perimeter.
Zaeske, a 6-foot-3 junior guard/forward from South Milwaukee, Wis., clearly demonstrated that fact by scoring a game-high 24 points, highlighted by five 3-point baskets, and grabbing eight rebounds to lead the Carroll University men's basketball team to a 72-65 victory over North Central College in a physical, uptempo College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday evening.
It was the second consecutive home-court conference victory for Carroll, which improved to 3-2 in the league standings and 8-6 overall.
Leading 62-59 late in the second half, the Pioneers responded with a decisive 10-6 run over the course of the final two minutes to seal a gritty, hard-fought victory over the CCIW preseason conference favorite.
Zaeske helped fuel the critical stretch by nailing a pressure-packed, fist-pumping basket from 3-point range to extend the lead to 67-59 with 1 minute, 29 seconds remaining.
"I just managed to come out and catch fire at the right time," said Zaeske, who scored 12 points during the opening five minutes of the contest en route to finishing with 14 first-half points. "Toward the end of the game, it was huge to hit one more big basket to help break the game wide open. It's really hard to find the words to describe the feeling when it went through. I've been working on my form so after catching the ball in rhythm it all became automatic.
"Looking back on the victory, it was great to be able to come out, protect the home floor and get our second straight conference victory. As a team, we started out hot, kind of faded little in the second half but then finished off strong once again. When we started running our half-court offense and distributing the ball, everyone was able to get involved and we were hard to stop. Coming back from the trip to Texas, we were a little down so to be able to come back and get two big CCIW victories really boosted our confidence."
Sophomore guard Ben Widdes (Rice Lake, Wis.) followed with 14 points, five rebounds and five assists for the Pioneers, who converted seven 3-pointers, made 19 of 23 free throws and shot 39.7 percent from field-goal range.
Freshman guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) had nine points, four rebounds and two steals for Carroll, which forced 21 turnovers. Senior guard Kyle Keranen (Hartland, Wis.) and sophomore forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) each had eight points.
Penny provided a critical spark for Carroll, scoring five straight points over a key one-minute stretch in the second half - including a 3-pointer from the top of the perimeter to increase the lead to a  40-36 margin with 14:41 left.
Sophomore guard Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.) chipped in five points and freshman forward Kale Maupin (Peotone, Ill.) added four points to round out the list of seven players reaching the scoring column.
"We were very focused and engaged from the opening tip-off," Carroll fourth-year head coach Paul Combs said. "The first five minutes ultimately gave us enough of a comfortable lead and proved to be the difference in the game.
"Being the CCIW, we knew they were going to come at us hard in the second half. We just took their best punch and answered by making some key plays down the stretch. Having put together two fundamentally sound victories, it should give us a lot of confidence as we prepare for the next challenge."
Junior guard Erwin Henry and freshman guard Nick Chambers each scored a team-high 15 points for North Central, which dropped to 2-4 in conference and 8-7 overall. Alex Sorenson, a 6-8 All-American junior forward and first-team CCIW selection last year, was limited to 12 points for the Cardinals, who made nine 3-pointers, 18 of 25 free throws and shot 39.6 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team defeated North Central College 72-65 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
Scoring Leaders: Tanner Zaeske (24 points), Ben Widdes (14 points), Nick Penny (9 points), Kyle Keranen (8 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (8 points)
Notable: Carroll outscored the Cardinals 35-28 in the first half, converted seven 3-pointers and made 19 of 23 free throws.