WAUKESHA, Wis. - Morgan Lund seized the moment.
Lund, a 5-foot-9 junior forward from Mondovi, Wis., made a pressure-packed 15-foot jump shot with 0.4 seconds remaining as the Carroll University women's basketball team defeated Millikin University 75-73 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the first victory of the season for Carroll, which snapped an 11-game losing streak to improve to 1-3 in the conference standings and 1-11 overall.
The dramatic, history-making Alumni Day victory took on added significance as it was the first for head coach Lindsay Schultz and the Pioneers' first in the CCIW since rejoining the league after a 24-year absence.
As the game remained tied 73-73 with time winding down in the fourth quarter, Carroll showcased its mental toughness by working for the final shot attempt.
On the game-winning sequence, sophomore guard Sara Hartl (Racine, Wis.) took possession on the right side of the floor, made a split-second decision and delivered a strong pass to a wide-open Lund - positioned toward the left side of the lane.
Lund immediately gained control of the ball, abruptly turned to square up and finished the bang-bang play with a high-arcing jumper to set off a jubilant celebration.
"My heart is still racing and I'm so glad that it led us to our first victory," said a smiling Lund, who finished with 18 points and five rebounds. "Being a young team, we've been training constantly from the beginning, focusing on the fundamentals and getting better every day. We've been growing each step of the way so it was incredible to see it all come together and take another step forward.
"On the winning play, I wasn't supposed to get the ball but Hartl made a great pass to create the opportunity. When it left my hand, I just prayed that it would go in. It was just an amazing feeling to see it happen."
Hartl scored 10 of her game-high 19 points in the second half for Carroll, which made 10 baskets from 3-point range, 13 of 14 free throws and shot 46 percent from the field in front of the enthusiastic crowd (which included former players Malory Christenson, Emma Kopp, Brittany Groer, Corrine Engels, Breann Maryanski, DeAnna Kassens, Emily DeNoyer, Kelly Menden, Hilary Arthur, Courtney Fryatt, Carlyn Wilhelmi Cunningham, Kate Elwood, Melanie Foreman, Jamie McMillin, Krista Hemphill, Whitney Erickson and Erin Erickson).
"It was a surreal experience," said Hartl, who also had five 3-pointers, four assists and three rebounds. "Being down at halftime (43-37), we knew that we needed to step it up."That's when our mentality changed and we knew that we were going to win this game. At that point, nothing was going to stop us and we did everything we could to get the job done. I'm extremely proud of how we took it possession by possession, busted our butts on both ends of the floor and didn't stop until we came away with the W.
"It was one of those situations where I got stuck, the defender was right there and I saw Morgan wide open. After making the pass, I had complete faith that she was going to make the shot. Looking back, it was a great victory and only the start of many good things to come."
Junior point guard Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.) registered a double-double by contributing 18 points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the Pioneers.
"We've been working for this from day one so it was exciting to finally translate that into a victory," said Wald, who scored 10 points in the momentum-shifting second half. "Coming off of the tough, hard loss to North Central, it really boosted our confidence and showed that we have five people on the floor who have the ability to score and distribute the ball on every possession. That momentum ultimately carried over into today's game.
"I was very proud of we handled the situation over the course of the last 15 seconds and managed to get the job done. This victory should serve as a great motivator in the games to come."
Freshman guard Caylee Koker (Kenosha, Wis.) contributed eight points, seven rebounds and two assists for Carroll. Sophomore guard Meredith Polzin (Pewaukee, Wis.) and freshman guard/forward Hannah Kloehn (Marshfield, Wis.) each added six points.
Schultz was ecstatic about how her young, determined squad displayed its poise and mental toughness in the closing minutes.
"I'm so proud of the kids," said Schultz, of her first victory as coach of the Pioneers. "As a coaching staff, we can see the improvement every day so it was great to get a victory to validate all of the hard work. This really showed that all of the grind, sacrifice and commitment to the program are paying off. We've grown throughout the season and were ready to make a play when it counted the most.
"This victory proved that we're taking huge steps on this two-year journey and are going to be a force in the future."
Junior guard/forward Devin Curry and sophomore guard/forward Yanni Sadler each scored a team-high 15 points for Millikin, which dropped to 1-3 in conference and 7-6 overall. Junior guard/forward Emily Schultz chipped in 10 points and 11 rebounds while junior forward Lauren Moses had 10 points and six rebounds for the Big Blue, who made six 3-pointers, 13 of 15 free throws and shot 43 percent from the field.
PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Millkin University 75-73 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Scoring Leaders: Sara Hartl (19 points), Morgan Lund (18 points), Brittany Wald (18 points), Caylee Koker (8 points)
Rebound Leaders: Wald (10), Koker (7), Lund (5), Hannah Kloehn (4)
Notable: The victory was the first for first-year head coach Lindsay Schultz and the Pioneers' first CCIW victory in 24 years.
