WAUKESHA, Wis. - Young teams often have a tendency to start fast, play well at times and then struggle to maintain the momentum down the stretch.
That frustrating trend continued for the Carroll University women's basketball team as it lost to Silver Lake College 61-55 in a nonconference home opener at Van Male Field House on Tuesday night.
It was the third straight early season nonconference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 0-3 overall.
As the game remained tied 45-45 with 9:05 remaining, the Pioneers gradually fell victim to what became a game-changing 10-1 run over a key six-minute span.
It proved to be the difference as Carroll trimmed the deficit to four points on three different occasions within the final three minutes and down to three points with 45 seconds remaining but couldn't come through with a momentum-shifting basket.
Senior forward Danelle Buck scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds for Silver Lake, which improved to 2-2 overall. Junior forward Hailee Kotchee had 17 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers, who made four 3-point baskets and 13 of 20 free throws.
Despite the final outcome, Carroll showcased its growth, steady development and balanced offensive attack with seven players reaching the scoring column - including three individuals in double figures.
Freshman Mallory Olszak scored a team-high 18 points with three 3-point baskets to lead a strong, aggressive contingent of freshmen making their collegiate home-court debut for the Pioneers, who made five 3-pointers and 10 of 18 free throws. 
Olszak, a 5-foot-4 point guard from Crete, Ill. who also converted 3 of 4 free throws in the contest, contributed 13 points in the second half - highlighted by a 3-pointer from the right side of the perimeter to cut the lead to 55-51 with 2:38 left.
Freshman forward Katie Rossetti (Wauconda, Ill.) followed with 13 points and seven rebounds for Carroll, which shot 35 percent from field-goal-range and committed 25 turnovers. Freshman small forward Delaney Sjong (Salem, Wis.) had 10 points and eight rebounds. 
Freshman guard Anna Menges (Manitowoc, Wis.) added seven points, five rebounds and a steal.
"We opened the game with a lot of intensity, played with heart and jumped out on them," said Carroll second-year head coach Lindsay Schultz, whose team led 28-20 at halftime. "At times, I was happy with our effort on the defensive end and how we were able to score in transition. Unfortunately, with a few players out of the lineup we didn't have a lot of depth and fatigue became a factor in the second half (referring to being outscored 23-14 in the third quarter).
"Being a young team, we're still learning how to push through the challenge of staying mentally focused while playing a lot of minutes. It's something we will continue to address as the season goes on and everyone becomes more comfortable within their specific roles. We're working hard but just need to take the next step and learn how to finish games."

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Silver Lake College 61-55 in a nonconference home opener at Van Male Field House on Tuesday night.
Record: 0-3 overall
Scoring Leaders: Mallory Olszak (18 points), Katie Rossetti (13 points), Delaney Sjong (10 points), Anna Menges (7 points)
Notable: The Pioneers were outscored 41-27 in the second half, including a momentum-shifting 23-14 margin in the third quarter.