WAUKESHA, Wis. - Disappointing.
That seemed to be a fitting way to describe the final outcome as the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to North Park University 64-53 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday evening.
It was a season-low point total and devastating home-court loss for Carroll, which dropped to 7-7 in the conference standings and 12-11 overall.
The late-season setback severely damaged the Pioneers' hopes for a prestigious CCIW tournament berth, dropping the scrappy, young squad into sole possession of seventh place with two regular-season games remaining (including a final home game versus Wheaton (Feb. 18) and regular-season finale at Elmhurst (Feb. 21).
Augustana remains atop the league standings with an 11-3 record, Carthage and North Park are tied for second (9-5), Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton are tied for third (8-6) followed by North Central in sixth (8-7).
The Pioneers led 35-31 with 15:42 remaining but fell victim to what proved to be a decisive 14-0 run over a critical three-minute span.
Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) had a team-high 16 points, five rebounds and a blocked shot to lead Carroll, which converted five 3-pointers, 8 of 11 free throws and shot 45.5 percent from field-goal range.
Ingebrigtsen, a 6-foot-7 sophomore forward/center, was an imposing force throughout the physical battle - consistently fighting off double teams en route to scoring nine first-half points and seven points over the course of the final 20 minutes (highlighted by an aggressive low-post basket to regain a 30-29 lead with 18:01 left).
"We started off the second half hot by knocking down some strong shots (referring to the 35-31 lead) but couldn't sustain the momentum because of struggling on the defensive end," said Ingebrigtsen, of the fierce, late-season matchup. "My teammates did a nice job of getting the ball inside and putting me in good position to finish throughout the game. Having the size advantage tonight, I just did my best to make the most of the opportunities."
Ingebrigtsen was quick to point out that despite the frustrating setback, the team will continue to play with intensity down the stretch.
"Coming into the game, we really believed we were in good position to challenge for a conference tournament berth so the final outcome was disappointing. This obviously makes it more difficult for us but we will continue to play with the same pride that we have shown all season and see what happens."
Senior guard Kyle Keranen (Hartland, Wis.) contributed 12 points with four 3-point baskets for the Pioneers, who committed 16 turnovers. Sophomore point guard Ben Widdes (Rice Lake, Wis.) followed with 11 points, five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Freshman guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) added seven points for Carroll, which outrebounded the Vikings 27-24.
Carroll trimmed the deficit to eight points on a hard-driving layup by Widdes with 11:14 remaining but couldn't get any closer.
"They simply outplayed us in all phases tonight," said Carroll fourth-year head coach Paul Combs, whose team upset North Park 84-81 on a dramatic last-second shot by Keranen on Dec. 10. "We took a lead early in the second half but they went on a hot streak, took advantage of their veteran leadership and came away with a hard-fought victory. Tonight, they deserve lot of credit in the way they handled the challenge.
"We certainly missed out on an opportunity with this game. At this point, all we can do is continue to play hard, take care of business and see where it takes us."
Junior guard Colin Lake scored a game-high 19 points with five 3-pointers for North Park, which snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 16-7 overall. Senior guard T.J. Cobbs also chipped in 19 points with junior forward Jordan Robinson adding 15 points and seven rebounds for the Vikings, who made 10 3-pointers and shot 51 percent from the field.
All-American senior guard Juwan Henry played only four minutes and was held scoreless.
PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to North Park University 64-53 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday.
Record: 7-7 in conference, 12-11 overall
Scoring Leaders: Tyler Ingebrigtsen (16 points), Kyle Keranen (12 points), Ben Widdes (11 points), Nick Penny (7 points)
Rebound Leaders: Ingebrigtsen (5), Ben Widdes (5), Tanner Zaeske (3), Ray Pierce (3)
Notable: The Pioneers led 35-31 with 15:42 remaining but fell victim to what proved to be a decisive 14-0 run over a critical three-minute span.
