LA CROSSE, Wis. - Junior guard Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.) came off the bench to score a team-high 12 points with two 3-point baskets as the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse 80-60 in a nonconference game at Mitchell Hall on Wednesday night.
It was the third consecutive loss for Carroll, which dropped to 2-5 overall.
The Pioneers were outscored 34-16 in the first half, including what proved to be a decisive 20-4 run over the course of the opening 12 minutes.
Junior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) followed with nine points for Carroll, which made 15 of 21 free throws and three 3-pointers. Senior guard/forward Joel Heesch (Mauston, Wis.) and freshman forward Alec Hamilton (Hartland, Wis.) each contributed eight points.
Junior guard Ray Pierce (Milwaukee, Wis.) added six points, four rebounds and three assists for the Pioneers, who shot 25 percent from field-goal range in the first half.
Junior forward Ben Meinholz scored a game-high 14 points for UW-La Crosse, which improved to 7-2 overall. Junior guard Brendon Manning, junior guard Tanner Bruchs and sophomore forward Nolan Wright each added 12 points for the Eagles, who shot a season-best 59.6 percent from the field and converted eight 3-pointers.
UW-La Crosse, which made 8 of 18 free throws, scored 44 points in the paint.
It was the first meeting between the two teams since 2009-10.