WAUKESHA, Wis. - Senior guard Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.) scored a game-high 22 points with five baskets from 3-point range but the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Millikin University 77-75 in a hard-fought, physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the third consecutive conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 0-3 in league and 2-6 overall following the nail-biting final outcome.
The Pioneers trailed by eight points late in the contest but showcased their resilience by answering with a gritty 11-4 run over the course of a three-minute span to trim the deficit to 69-68 - capped on an inside basket by senior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.) with 2:51 remaining.
Carroll later cut the deficit to 75-74 as Howat made a free throw with 8.8 seconds left.
The Pioneers struggled to convert a potential game-winning three-point play on their final possession down the stretch.
"Playing with heart is what this team is all about but at the end of the day we didn't make enough plays to get the job done," said Howat, who had 11 points in each half. "It's frustrating to come that close in a game that we should've won so we just have to keep working and focus on improving. There's not a doubt in my mind that we will accomplish that goal as we move forward.
"We just have to concentrate on playing a complete 40 minutes in the games to come. If we can do that, good things will happen."
Junior guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) followed with 18 points, including 4 of 5 free throws, and pulled down seven rebounds for the Pioneers, who converted seven 3-pointers, 16 of 23 free throws and shot 55.3 percent from field-goal range.
Soule played a vital role in the second-half comeback, scoring nine straight points to attack the tall Millikin post players and trim the deficit to 69-66 with 3:26 remaining.
Junior guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) contributed 11 points, six rebounds, four steals and an assist.
Ingebrigtsen and Anthony Marlowe (South Milwaukee, Wis.) each added seven points.
"It was a classic hard-fought, back-and-forth CCIW battle the entire way," Carroll sixth-year head coach Paul Combs said. "When they built a lead, we had to fight and claw on every possession to get back in it. The effort was good but we just ran out of time at the end. We were one possession away from winning the game.
"We've had a rough stretch against some difficult competition but make no excuses. We're just going to keep grinding each day, believe in ourselves and trust in the process. It's a long season so its just a matter of improving each day, staying positive and representing ourselves in the best possible way. As we do that, things will begin to turn around."
Millikin made 6 of 8 free throws within the final 30 seconds to help ensure a victory.
Senior forward Elijah Henry scored a team-high 21 points and grabbed six rebounds for Millikin, which earned its first conference victory to improve to 1-2 in league and 5-3 overall. Junior guard Zach Fisher had 18 points with four 3-pointers for the Big Blue, which made 10 3-pointers, 13 of 20 free throws and shot 55.1 percent.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Millikin University 77-75 in a hard-fought, physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Records: 0-3 in CCIW and 2-6 overall
Scoring Leaders: Troy Howat (22 points), Charlie Soule (18 points), Nick Penny (11 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (7 points), Anthony Marlowe (7 points)
Notable: The Pioneers trimmed the deficit to one point twice within the final three minutes but couldn't complete the pressure-packed second-half comeback.