WAUKESHA, Wis. - Theresa Wichser caught fire from the perimeter.
Wichser, a 5-foot-2 freshman guard from Waukesha, Wis., emphasized that by scoring all 12 points of her points in the second half, including four baskets from 3-point range, as the Carroll University women's basketball team defeated Millikin University 70-67 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the first conference victory of the season for Carroll, which snapped a string of frustrating back-to-back road losses to improve to 1-1 in the league standings and 4-5 overall.
The Pioneers trailed 51-47 at the end of three quarters but responded to the challenge by outscoring Millikin 23-16 over the course of the final 10 minutes - highlighted by a momentum-shifting 13-2 run in a six-minute span.
Wichser powered the critical, pressure-packed fourth-quarter scoring surge, converting three 3-pointers - highlighted by two consecutive long-range shots on back-to-back possessions to first regain a lead and then extend it to 55-51 with 8:53 remaining.
"Being down at that point of the game, I knew it was time to step up and hit my 3s to help regain the momentum," said a smiling Wichser, of the decisive fourth-quarter stretch. "It was one of those games where nothing came easily so we really tried to match their intensity and managed to take control with a big fourth-quarter run. Once we made some huge defensive stops, it picked us up and gradually led to a lot of success on the offensive end.
"It was a high-pressure situation but we did a nice job of staying relaxed and working through it. After hitting my first 3-pointer, it seemed to raise the energy level in the gym and I was able to catch fire on the perimeter. That's when everything seemed to come together. It was just awesome to be able to make the most of the opportunities and contribute to the first home-court conference victory of the season."
Freshman guard  Alyssa Cruz (West Allis, Wis.) contributed a team-high 14 points with 5 of 6 free throws, a team-best eight assists, six steals, three rebounds and a blocked shot for Carroll, which converted six 3-pointers, 8 of 12 free throws and shot 44.4 percent from field-goal range. 
Freshman guard/forward Sierra Grubor (Milwaukee, Wis.) also had 12 total points in the contest, including eight consecutive points to complete a dynamic, 1-2 fourth quarter scoring punch.
"It was exciting to come away with our first conference victory of the season," said Grubor, whose first points of the fourth quarter came on an inside basket off an assist from Wichser to increase the lead to 60-53 with 4:10 left. "Coming into the game, we were dealing with some adversity so being such a young team it was great to be able to pull through the situation. Being at home, it was nice to be able to play in a great atmosphere, in front of all our fans and show what the program has to offer both now and in the years to come.
"Heading into the second half, we really took it upon ourselves to step up and be aggressive on every possession. That's when we began to make plays on both ends of the floor and everything began to work in our favor. As that happened, I just tried to be a leader, play with energy and fight hard each step of the way. It was just a lot of fun to be able to regain the momentum in the fourth quarter, maintain the lead and grind it out by hitting some big free throws down the stretch. This victory should act as a great confidence builder in the games to come."
Sophomore guard Emily Majerus (Plymouth, Wis.) chipped in 10 points, three rebounds, two assists and a steal for Carroll, which outrebounded the Big Blue 47-42 - including a 34-24 advantage on the defensive glass. Freshman forward Kayla Stefka (Johnsburg, Ill.) had eight points and five rebounds.
Freshman center Celina Schwantes (Pewaukee, Wis.) added six points and a team-high 10 rebounds for the Pioneers, who generated 14 assists and forced 20 turnovers.
Carroll third-year head coach Lindsay Schultz was pleased with the way her young team maintained its focus and showcased its resilience in the fourth quarter.
"Watching Millikin on film, we were well aware of the good job Coach (Olivia) Lett has done to encourage her team to put pressure on the ball and create their offense with the effort on the defensive end," said Schultz, of the challenge. "Knowing that would be the case, we really attempted to focus on getting open, handling the pressure and eliminating the number of turnovers. Even though we fell behind, we gradually began to get stronger with the ball and played with confidence down the stretch (despite being down a few players because of illness). That's when we were able to get into our offense, execute at a high level on some key possessions and hit some big shots to spark the big run in the fourth quarter.
"Coming off a difficult loss at UW-Platteville, it was huge to be able come back, rise to the occasion and get the job done. Our resilience played a key role in our success. This type of effort will only help our confidence in the weeks to come."
Freshman guard/forward Aubrey Staton had a game-high 22 points with five 3-pointers, five rebounds, four steals and an assist for Millikin, which dropped to 1-2 in conference and 2-7 overall. Sophomore forward/center Jordan Hildebrand added 17 points, seven rebounds and two steals for the Big Blue, who made nine 3-pointers, 6 of 13 free throws and shot 36.1 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team defeated Millikin University 70-67 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Records: 1-1 in CCIW and 4-5 overall
Scoring Leaders: Alyssa Cruz (14 points), Theresa Wichser (12 points), Sierra Grubor (12 points), Emily Majerus (10 points), Kayla Stefka (8 points), Celina Schwantes (6 points)
Rebound Leaders: Schwantes (10), Katie Rossetti (9), Stefka (5), Cruz (3), Grubor (3), Majerus (3), Amari Whittington (3)
Notable: The Pioneers trailed 51-47 at the end of three quarters but responded to the challenge by outscoring Millikin 23-16 over the course of the final 10 minutes - highlighted by a momentum-shifting 13-2 run in a six-minute span.