WAUKESHA, Wis. - Challenging nonconference matchups can often serve as a good measuring stick for a young, hungry team.
The Carroll University men's basketball team experienced that firsthand as it lost to high-powered Loras College 94-85 in a nonconference showdown at Van Male Field House on Sunday afternoon.
It was the fourth consecutive loss for Carroll, which dropped to 2-6 overall.
Carroll trailed 43-37 at the intermission and was outscored by a decisive 51-48 margin in the second half.
Despite the final outcome, it was a confidence-building performance for the young, hard-working squad as it generated the second-highest point total of the season.
Tyler Ingebrigtsen  scored a career-high 24 points with two 3-point baskets for the Pioneers, who made five 3-pointers and 16 of 23 free throws.
Ingebrigtsen, an imposing 6-foot-7, 225-pound junior forward from Elk Grove Village, Ill., made a statement by also contributing five rebounds, converting 10 of 10 free throws and finishing with three blocked shots in playing 26 minutes.
"Coming into this game, the main point of emphasis was on playing with confidence at the offensive end (especially from the 3-point line)," said Ingebrigtsen, who scored eight of Carroll's first 10 points over the course of the opening five minutes of the contest - including a three-point play to extend the lead to 10-6 with 15:28 remaining. ""Because of our recent struggles, we looked back at some clips from when we were at our best last year (pin-pointing the team's highly productive preseason trip to Canada) and collectively it ended up having a positive impact on our execution today.
""Being the first game back on our home court and against Loras (referring to last year's hard-fought 85-74 road loss), we really wanted come out strong, play our best and earn a special victory. Even though it didn't work out in our favor, we took a good step forward with the energized effort. If we continue to consistently work together, good things will happen. As one of four captains on the team, I tried to play with pride, lead by example and be accountable for my actions on the floor. Looking back, it was the best game of my collegiate career."
Senior guard Joel Heesch (Mauston, Wis.) followed with 17 points, four rebounds, four steals and an assist for Carroll, which trimmed the deficit to 50-46 with 15:42 left but couldn't get any closer.
Freshman guard Ryan Clarey (Pewaukee, Wis.) and freshman forward Alec Hamilton (Hartland, Wis.) each had nine points while contributing valuable minutes for the Pioneers, who made five 3-pointers, 16 of 23 free throws and shot 55.2 percent from field-goal range. Junior guard Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.) added seven points.
"After five straight games on the road, it was good to be back competing on our home court," Carroll fifth-year head coach Paul Combs said. "We did some nice things against a very good, attacking team like Loras but were just a little inconsistent at the defensive end. To their credit, when we needed to make a key stop, they answered by hitting the big shot to maintain the momentum.
The majority of our mistakes were aggressive ones and we had several guys contribute solid minutes to lift us. Tyler (Ingebrigtsen) did a nice job of leading the way and had one of his better games of the season. There were a lot of positives to build on so it's just a matter of learning from the experience and getting ready for the next challenge."
Junior guard Josh Ruggles scored a game-high 29 points with seven 3-pointers to lead Loras, which improved to 6-3 overall. Junior guard Ryan DiCanio had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Duhawks, who made 12 3-pointers, 26 of 33 free throws and shot 46.7 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Loras College 94-85 in a nonconference game at Van Male Field House on Sunday afternoon.
Record: 2-6 overall
Scoring Leaders: Tyler Ingebrigtsen (24 points), Joel Heesch (17 points), Ryan Clarey (9 points), Alec Hamilton (9 points), Troy Howat (7 points)
Notable: The Pioneers trimmed the deficit to 50-46 with 15:42 remaining on a 3-point basket by Heesch but couldn't get any closer.