BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Freshman guard Theresa Wichser (Waukesha, Wis.) scored a season-high 24 points with eight baskets from three-point range as the Carroll University women's basketball team lost to No. 14-ranked league co-leader Illinois Wesleyan University 86-77 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at the Shirk Center on Saturday evening.
The hard-fought, character-building road loss ended a string of back-to-back victories for Carroll, which dropped to 1-2 in the conference standings and 5-6 overall.
Despite the final outcome, it was a break-through performance by the explosive, sharp-shooting 5-foot-2 Wichser, who converted six long-range shots in the second half en route to establishing a program record for 3-pointers made in a single game - breaking the former mark of seven set by Marissa Haug versus Beloit College on Feb. 11, 2009.
Wichser, a graduate of Brookfield Academy, also set a program mark for 3-pointers attempted in a game with 14, surpassing the prior total of 12 established by Angie Gauger against Lake Forest College on Dec. 3, 1996.
The Pioneers were outscored 52-29 in the first half, including what became a decisive 31-18 margin in the second quarter.
Carroll showed glimpses of its potential throughout the challenging contest against the high-powered Titans with eight players reaching the scoring column, highlighted by three in double figures.
Freshman forward Kayla Stefka (Johnsburg, Ill.) contributed 17 points with three 3-pointers, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist for the steadily improving Pioneers, who converted a team-record 11 3-pointers, 14 of 17 free throws and shot 41.3 percent from field-goal range.
Carroll's 11 3-pointers surpassed the prior single-game team mark of 10 achieved versus Carthage College on Dec. 4, 2016 and equaled against Millikin University on Jan. 7, 2017.
Freshman guard Sierra Grubor (Milwaukee, Wis.) followed with 14 points, including 8 of 8 free throws, four rebounds, one assist and a steal for the Pioneers, who generated a season-high conference point total, registered 18 assists and forced 14 turnovers.
Grubor's poise and 100 percent accuracy from the free-throw line tied a program record, equaling the efforts of Amy Vanden Langenberg (8 of 8) versus Lakeland on Jan. 12, 1985 and Corrine Engels (9 of 9) against Ripon on Dec. 15, 2012.
Sophomore guard Emily Majerus (Plymouth, Wis.) chipped in seven points, six assists and a steal. Freshman point guard Alyssa Cruz (West Allis, Wis.) - who registered a program-record tying 12 assists versus Cornell earlier this season - added six points, including 4 of 6 free throws, a team-best nine assists, three rebounds and two steals.
Senior guard Nina Anderson scored a team-high 18 points with four 3-pointers to lead Illinois Wesleyan, which won its seventh straight to improve to 4-0 in conference and 9-2 overall. Sophomore forward Raven Hughes had 17 points for the Titans, who made eight 3-pointers, 14 of 21 free throws and shot 45.1 percent from the field.
Illinois Wesleyan, which scored 36 points in the paint, outrebounded the Pioneers 44-37 - maintaining an 18-12 advantage on the offensive glass.