WAUKESHA, Wis. - As the Carroll University women's basketball team walked off the court, a season of growth and steady progress came to an end.
Carroll lost to Carthage College 80-62 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin season finale at Van Male Field House on Tuesday.
It was the 12th consecutive loss for the Pioneers, who concluded the first year of a rebuilding process by finishing 1-15 in the conference standings and 1-23 overall.
Carroll was outscored 41-33 in the first half, including what proved to be a decisive 14-3 run over the course of the final five minutes of the second quarter.
Caylee Koker scored a game-high 24 points with six 3-point baskets to lead the Pioneers, who converted seven 3-pointers, 9 of 15 free throws and shot 36.5 percent from field-goal range.
Koker, a 5-foot-7 freshman guard from Kenosha, Wis., had 14 points in the first half to lead the charge for Carroll, which generated 26 points in the paint.
"It was an exciting game from start to finish," said Koker, who also grabbed seven rebounds. "We played really well together, finally started to move the ball and did a nice job of getting into the flow of the offense. It seems like we just started to bond together so it was sad that it happened during the last game. That said, I'm really happy about how we finished out the season.
"Throughout the night, I was just really thankful that my teammates were able to make the passes and get me the ball on the perimeter. It just felt good to be able to step up, hit the shots when I needed to and help bring some energy to the floor.
"Looking back, it was a fun freshman season and a great group to play with throughout the year. We competed as a family and battled through a lot of adversity every step of the way."
Junior forward Morgan Lund (Mondovi, Wis.) followed with 16 points, eight rebounds and a blocked shot for Carroll, which was outrebounded 43-39. Junior point guard Brittney Wald (Antigo, Wis.) chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists and three steals. 
Sophomore guard Sara Hartl (Racine, Wis.) had four points, six rebounds and four assists for the Pioneers. Freshman guard/forward Hannah Kloehn (Marshfield, Wis.) added four points and five rebounds.
Carroll first-year head coach Lindsay Schultz was proud of how her determined, young team came out focused and competed with intensity until the final buzzer.
"Tonight, this performance really showed our resilience," said Schultz, whose team scored 20 points in the second quarter. "Coming off two difficult games last week that really took their toll on us, the kids demonstrated their mental toughness and fought hard to come back after falling behind at the end of the first half.
"Throughout the evening, we did a lot of nice things and really continued to demonstrate all of the progress we've made this season. Even when we were deep into the fourth quarter and competing with just six players, everyone kept trying to execute and improve each time down the floor. 
"At this point, every team is mentally and physically exhausted so it was very impressive to watch them push through the fatigue and compete until the clock ran out. This was the first year of the journey, everyone played a lot of minutes and gained valuable experience in the CCIW. It was all about attempting to change the mentality of our program and taking the next step forward. Having battled through so much adversity throughout the year, the sky is the limit to what we can accomplish with an experienced group next season."
Sophomore forward Rachel Szydlowski scored a team-high 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds for Carthage, who ended the season 8-8 in conference and 14-11 overall. Sophomore guard Bailey Gilbert had 14 points for the Lady Reds, who made five 3-pointers, 9 of 13 free throws and shot 46.5 percent from field-goal range.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Carthage College 80-62 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin season finale at Van Male Field House on Tuesday.
Scoring Leaders: Caylee Koker (24 points), Morgan Lund (16 points), Brittney Wald (11 points), Sara Hartl (4 points), Hannah Kloehn (4 points), Meredith Polzin (3 points)
Rebound Leaders: Lund (8), Wald (8), Koker (7), Hartl (6), Kloehn (5), Polzin (4)
Notable: The Pioneers were outscored 41-33 in the first half, including a 14-3 run over the course of the final five minutes of the second quarter.