NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Senior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.) scored nine of his team-high 10 points in the first half and finished with five rebounds as the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to No. 20-ranked North Central College 61-47 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Gregory Arena on Wednesday night.
It was the second consecutive conference road loss to a high-powered NCAA Division III top 25-ranked team for Carroll, which dropped to 0-2 in the league standings and 2-5 overall following the tough, physical defensive battle.
The Pioneers trailed 47-46 late in the second half but gradually lost momentum and yielded what proved to be a decisive 14-1 run over the course of the final five minutes.
Junior guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) contributed nine points and three rebounds for Carroll, which led 26-22 at halftime. Junior guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) followed with eight points, four rebounds and two steals for the Pioneers, who converted four baskets from 3-point range, 11 of 17 free throws and shot 38.1 percent from field-goal range.
Junior forward Kale Maupin (Peotone, Ill.) had seven points with senior guard Ray Pierce (Milwaukee, Wis.) adding five points for Carroll, which forced 20 turnovers - including 16 in the first half - and held North Central to a season-low point total.
Sophomore guard Blaise Meredith scored a game-high 19 points with two 3-pointers and five assists for North Central, which improved to 2-0 in league and 6-0 overall. Junior forward Matt Cappelletti registered a double-double by finishing with 11 points, including 7 of 9 free throws, and a team-high 11 rebounds for the Cardinals - who made eight 3-pointers, 19 of 26 free throws and shot 48.6 percent from the field.
Senior guard Aiden Chang, who had 10 points, ignited the game-changing run by converting a layup and free throw to complete a critical three-point play to extend the lead to 50-46 with 4:26 remaining.
Junior forward Connor Raridon, North Central's leading scorer who came into the contest averaging 17.3 points per game, was plagued by foul trouble and finished with four points.