WAUKESHA, Wis. - Tarren Hall was a force on the perimeter.
Hall, a 6-foot-2 sophomore guard from New Lisbon, Wis., contributed a season-high 19 points with five baskets from 3-point range, five rebounds and three steals as the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Illinois Institute of Technology 64-59 in the finale of the inaugural Nicholas Investments Thanksgiving Classic at Van Male Field House on Sunday afternoon.
It was the second consecutive home-court loss for Carroll, which dropped to 2-3 overall following the disappointing outcome to conclude the spirited holiday tournament.
The Pioneers were outscored 31-20 in what proved to be a decisive first half, including a key 19-8 run over the course of the final 11 minutes. 
Carroll showcased its resilience in the second half by outscoring Illinois Tech 39-33 - highlighted by  a gritty, tough character-building 11-6 run in the final two minutes of the game.
Junior guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) capped the late scoring surge by making two free throws to trim the deficit to 62-59 with 7.2 seconds remaining but it wasn't enough to complete a dramatic comeback.
Hall, who was named to the all-tournament team, scored eight points with two 3-pointers in the momentum-shifting second half.
His final long-range shot came from the right side of the perimeter to cut the lead to 61-53 with 1:44 left.
"We came out flat, fell behind early on and that made it all the more difficult to come back," said Hall, who finished with 25 points, seven 3-pointers, six rebounds, three steals and two assists in playing a respectable 41 minutes during the two-day tournament. "When that happened, it became a steady grind to get back in it and we just couldn't get it done down the stretch. In the final minutes, the momentum shifted and it became a close game. Unfortunately, we dug too deep of a hole for ourselves in the first half and couldn't overcome it in the end."
Hall was quick to point out that his individual success was the result of the team's ability to stay patient and work for the open look.
"Throughout the day, I knew my teammates would do a good job of getting me the ball so it was just a matter of getting open, spotting up and being shot ready," Hall added. "It was great to be able to step into the situation, hit some shots and execute. Looking back, it was nice to be named to the all-tournament team but would've felt a lot better if we had come away with a win to finish off the weekend. Even though we didn't finish with a victory, this tournament showed that we're a great team and have the ability to compete with anyone. We outplayed them for most of the game today but it just wasn't enough."
Junior guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) followed with 14 points, highlighted by 8 of 9 free throws, two rebounds and three steals for Carroll, which converted five baskets from 3-point range, 18 of 25 free throws and shot 41.9 percent from field-goal range.
Soule was an energizer and helped power the second-half comeback, scoring all of his points - capped with a mid-court steal and hard-driving layup to trim the deficit to 61-57 with 53.5 seconds remaining.
Penny and freshman forward Blake Williams (Lone Tree, Colo.) each had eight points for the Pioneers, who were outrebounded by Illinois Tech 35-22 - including a 24-19 margin on the defensive glass. Senior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.) added six points.
"It was like a carbon copy of our tournament opener," said Carroll sixth-year head coach Paul Combs, referring to Saturday's opening-round loss to Washington University in St. Louis. "IIT was a senior-laden team that made their shots, got off to a hot start and managed to make more plays than we did throughout the game.
"Fighting hard until the final buzzer is a way of life with our program so it was great to see the guys play with pride in the second half and make it close down the stretch. It didn't work out in our favor but the experience will serve as a good learning tool as we move forward. With the caliber of the teams in the tournament field over the last two weeks, our aggressive effort should be a great motivator in the games to come. Now its time to prepare for next weekend's CCIW opener."
Freshman guard Ahmad Muhammad scored a game-high 24 points to lead Illinois Tech, which improved to 1-2 overall. Senior forward Jake Digiorgio registered a double-double by finishing with 15 points, 14 rebounds, two assists, one steal and a blocked shot for the Scarlet Hawks, who made six 3-pointers, 14 of 23 points and shot 45.8 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Illinois Institute of Technology 64-59 in the finale of the inaugural Nicholas Investments Thanksgiving Classic at Van Male Field House on Sunday afternoon.
Scoring Leaders: Tarren Hall (19 points), Charlie Soule (14 points), Nick Penny (8 points), Blake Williams (8 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (6 points)
Notable: The Pioneers were outscored 31-20 in what proved to be a decisive first half, including a key 19-8 run over the course of the final 11 minutes. 

All-Tournament Team
Sophomore guard Tarren Hall (Carroll); junior forward Kienan Baltimore (Carthage); senior forward Jake Digiorgio (Illinois Institute of Technology); junior guard Matt Nester (Washington University in St. Louis); 

Most Valuable Player
Sophomore guard Jack Nolan (Washington University in St. Louis)