WAUKESHA, Wis. - Senior guard/forward Joel Heesch (Mauston, Wis.) and junior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) each scored a team-high 20 points to lead the Carroll University men's basketball team to a 73-69 victory over Carthage College in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
It was the fourth consecutive conference victory for Carroll, which improved to 5-7 in the highly contested league standings and 9-12 overall.
The spirited victory took on added significance as it kept the Pioneers' hopes for a berth in the prestigious four-team CCIW Tournament alive with four games remaining in the regular season.
Carroll, which has won five of its last six and remained in sole possession of sixth place, is scheduled to face first-place Illinois Wesleyan (9-3), second-place North Central (9-4) , eighth-place Millikin (4-9) and fourth-place Wheaton (8-4) to round out the challenging conference schedule.
Trailing 48-41 midway through the second half, the Pioneers showcased their composure and resilience by outscoring Carthage by a 32-21 margin during the final 10 minutes - including what became a decisive 19-6 run over a key six-minute stretch.
"It was a really hard-fought game the entire way," said Heesch, who made a steal and converted a slashing layup as Carroll took a 49-48 lead with 6:58 left. "It just wasn't the same atmosphere as we had grown accustomed to in the past games so we dug down and took it upon ourselves to create the energy. It's something the great teams have an ability to do from game to game and it was great to make the most of the situation. We just fought through some stretches in the first half but then put everything together when it counted most.
"Being back in the conference race, we're taking a one-game-at-a-time approach and fighting to earn each victory. This was a huge victory and we appreciate the support of all the fans along the way.With the talent and depth of the league, nobody is giving us anything so we're going to keep working hard, leave it all on the court and see what happens."
The 6-foot-7, 225-pound Ingebrigtsen was a force in the paint throughout the physical battle, generating five momentum-building points during the key fourth-quarter run - including an emotional, fist-pumping three-point play to extend the lead to 56-52 with 4:49 left.
"After coming up just short earlier in the season (referring to a 69-65 road loss to Carthage on Jan. 10), there's no better feeling than to play on the home court, come away with a hard-fought victory and continue our winning streak," said Ingebrigtsen, who registered a powerful, statement-making blocked shot to slow Carthage's towering 6-foot-11 sophomore center Brad Perry with 6:27 remaining. "Having struggled during the first half of the year, this victory will give us hope as we head into the final stretch of the regular season. We've fought hard each step of the way and clawed our way back into it.
"Collectively, as big men we're the most undersized team in the conference so tonight we just tried to play strong, assert ourselves inside on each possession and outwork them. That's when good things began to happen. From start to finish, everyone stepped into their individual roles, played hard and had fun out there. That chemistry and ability to share the ball made the difference in the end."
Carroll made 12 of 14 free throws within the final two minutes.
The Red Men trimmed the deficit to 69-66 with 19.7 seconds remaining but couldn't get any closer.
Sophomore guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) and sophomore forward Kale Maupin (Peotone, Ill.) each followed with 10 points for Carroll, which converted four 3-point baskets, 25 of 29 free throws and shot 61.9 percent from field-goal range in the second half.
Senior forward Tanner Zaeske (South Milwaukee, Wis.) added seven points and six rebounds.
"It was a grind-it-out type of game between two teams that were hungry for a victory," said Carroll fifth-year head coach Paul Combs, also noting the valuable efforts of junior forward Anthony Marlowe (South Milwaukee, Wis.),  sophomore guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) and the rest of his bench. "The last 10 minutes, where we changed the tempo and stepped up our defensive intensity, was the turning point in the game. As that happened, we continued to make plays down the stretch and converted our free throws to help put the game away.
"Carthage is a very good, well-coached team so we really wanted to remain on the attack until the final buzzer."
Junior guard Jordan Thomas scored a game-high 21 points with four 3-pointers for Carthage, which dropped to 7-5 in conference and 12-9 overall. Sophomore forward Kienan Baltimore had 17 points for the Red Men, who made six 3-pointers, 17 of 23 free throws and shot 40.4 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team defeated  Carthage College 73-69 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
Record: 5-7 in conference and 9-12 overall
Scoring Leaders: Tyler Ingebrigtsen (20 points), Joel Heesch (20 points), Nick Penny (10 points), Kale Maupin (10 points)
Rebound Leaders: Heesch (8), Zaeske (6), Penny (4), Charlie Soule (4), Ingebrigtsen (3)
Notable: Trailing 48-41 midway through the second half, the Pioneers showcased their composure and resilience by outscoring Carthage by a 32-21 margin during the final 10 minutes - including what became a decisive 19-6 run over a key six-minute stretch.