WAUKESHA, Wis. - Faced with the difficult task of playing one of the top teams in the nation, the Carroll University men's basketball team proved it was worthy of the challenge and emerged with its biggest victory of the season.
Carroll knocked off No. 9-ranked Augustana College 77-69 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the third consecutive conference victory for Carroll, which fed off the adrenaline of the large, enthusiastic crowd by improving to 4-7 in the league standings and 8-12 overall.
The inspired statement victory took on added significance as the Pioneers moved into sole possession of sixth place, keeping their hopes for a CCIW Tournament berth alive with five conference games remaining in the regular season.
Carroll led 40-39 with 17:52 remaining and responded to the pressure-packed challenge by responding with a critical 12-4 run over the course of a seven-minute stretch.
Augustana, which advanced to the NCAA Division III national championship game two of the last three years,  trimmed the deficit to 73-69 with 26 seconds left but couldn't get any closer.
Senior guard/forward Tanner Zaeske (South Milwaukee, Wis.) scored a team-high 19 points with three 3-pointers to lead the Pioneers, who led 35-33 at the intermission.
Zaeske, one of three seniors on the roster, contributed eight points within the final minute - highlighted by three straight layups and two free throws.
Senior guard/forward Joel Heesch (Mauston, Wis.) contributed 16 points - including 8 of 9 free throws - seven rebounds, a game-high 10 assists and two steals for Carroll, which made six 3-point baskets, 23 of 32 free throws and shot 47.1 percent from field-goal range.
"It was one of the biggest victories of my career as a player at Carroll," said Heesch, who exited the contest alongside Zaeske to a standing ovation from the excited crowd with eight seconds left. "Looking back, it's really hard to put into words how much it meant. After losing a heartbreaker on the road to them earlier this season (referring to a 66-62 loss on Jan. 13), it added a lot of fuel to the fire and served as good motivation heading into this game. That's when the mindset changed and we came in playing to win. Basketball is the ultimate game of runs and we consistently limited their's down the stretch. When that happened, we went on one more of our own and never looked back.
"It was really special running off the court and hearing all of the cheers from the excited crowd. Even though it was a big victory, we still have work to do. Now we're right back in the race and have to play our best to keep it going."
Junior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen  (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) followed with 15 points and sophomore guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) had 12 points for the Pioneers, who maintained a 35-26 rebound advantage - highlighted by a 24-21 margin on the defensive glass.
Penny scored five points to help power the decisive second-half run, including a clutch 3-pointer to extend the lead to 46-39 with 13:52 left.
Sophomore guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) chipped in six points with sophomore forward Kale Maupin (Peotone, Ill.) adding four points, eight rebounds, two steals and an assist.
"It was a great signature win for our program," said Carroll fifth-year head coach Paul Combs, of his team's energized performance. "From beginning to end, it was a great NCAA Division III basketball game between two teams that played their hearts out until the final buzzer. We played our tails off, took advantage of the opportunity to play on our home court and fed off the adrenaline generated by the great, enthusiastic crowd. Our student section was as good as it has ever been and really played an important role today. 
"It's been a season of adversity so this type of victory really validates all of the hard work and commitment the guys have put in this year. Most of all it honored all of the efforts of our three seniors (referring to Zaeske, Heesch and guard Michael Keane from Northbrook, Ill.). One of my favorite moments was when Tanner and Joel were coming out with eight seconds left. At that point, Michael was coming back into the game so all three were on the floor and had a chance to soak it in and enjoy the moment. 
"We've been playing a lot of great basketball and have propelled ourselves back into the race so we just want to ride the momentum and see what what we can do down the stretch. It's all about playing your best in January and February so it will be exciting to see how it plays out. It was just a special day."
Nolan Ebel scored a game-high 22 points for Augustana, which dropped to 8-4 in conference and 16-5 overall. Chrishawn Orange had 16 points and Brett Benning added 10 points for the Vikings, who made four 3-pointers, 13 of 13 free throws and shot 47.3 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team defeated No. 9-ranked Augustana College 77-69 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Record: 4-7 in conference and 8-12 overall
Scoring Leaders: Tanner Zaeske (19 points), Joel Heesch (16 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (15 points), Nick Penny (12 points)
Rebound Leaders: Kale Maupin (8), Joel Heesch (7), Troy Howat (4), Anthony Marlowe (4), Charlie Soule (3)
Notable: The Pioneers, who have won four of their last five, led 35-33 at the intermission and outscored Augustana 42-36 over the course of the final 20 minutes.