WAUKESHA, Wis. - Freshman guard Sierra Grubor (Milwaukee, Wis.) scored a season-high 30 points, including 11 field goals and 8 of 9 free throws, but it wasn't quite enough as the Carroll University women's basketball team lost to North Park University 70-69 in a dramatic hard-fought 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 2-5 in the conference standings and 7-9 overall.
The Pioneers trailed 68-59 late in the fourth quarter but answered with a gritty, tension-filled 10-2 run over the course of the final three minutes - trimming the deficit to one point on a hard-driving layup in the middle of the lane by Grubor with 25.3 seconds remaining.
Trailing by one point with time winding down, Carroll freshman point guard Alyssa Cruz (West Allis, Wis.) made a strong, fast-driving move to the basket and appeared to be fouled hard while attempting to finish on a potential game-winning layup with 1.3 seconds remaining.
Moments later as Cruz prepared to step to the free-throw line for the two free throws, the officials abruptly, quietly changed the call in a stunning change of events, ruling that it was a non-shooting foul.
Carroll was forced to inbound the ball but missed on a last-second shot as the buzzer sounded.
"Initially, we were confused because it appeared as if she was in the motion of shooting and that was the call," said Carroll third-year head coach Lindsay Schultz, of the dramatic turn of events. "For some reason, they felt the need to change it. From our vantage point, she was stretched out and in the process of going up for the layup but it was ruled that she was still on the ground. I was just really surprised by what happened.
"Being a young team, we showed a lot of heart in the way we came roaring back despite being down in the fourth quarter. It was really exciting to see how we responded to the challenge, played with confidence and battled. We could've easily given in at that point but instead kept fighting hard on each possession to put ourselves in position to win the game at the end. We've been challenged by adversity throughout the season but continue to approach it with an aggressive, determined mentality. That came through again with this effort. We have consistently learned from each experience this season and built off of that positive energy. Coming off the loss to Elmhurst, we really emphasized the importance of playing with energy and it ultimately fueled our comeback today."
Grubor was a steady force throughout the contest, scoring 16 points in the first half and following with 14 points over the course of the final 20 minutes, including eight critical points to help spark the fourth-quarter comeback.
"We battled back and showed a lot of heart given that we have two additional players out with injuries," said Grubor, who has scored 20 or more points three times this season and is averaging 11.4 points per game. "Being down in numbers, my name was called to step up into the starting spot so I just tried to play with passion each step of the way to help the team and set a positive example. Being at the collegiate level, I'm continuing to learn different moves that work best for me out on the court and want to become a consistent scoring threat. It was great to be able to make the most of the experience and take another step forward. It was so exciting to be a part of this game and the fourth quarter was the most fun I have ever had. We just wanted to show our heart from beginning to end.
"Looking back on the final seconds, we can't control the calls so it's just something we have to live with. The outcome wasn't what we wanted but we will see North Park again later in the season." 
Cruz contributed 21 points with two 3-pointers and 9 of 12 free throws, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals for Carroll, which was competing with a short-handed eight-player roster.
Freshman guard Theresa Wichser (Waukesha, Wis.) collected six points with two 3-pointers for the Pioneers, who made five baskets from 3-point range, 18 of 23 free throws and shot 45.1 percent from field-goal range.
Wichser currently is second all-time in program history for 3-pointers made in a single season with 49 - two shy of tying the school record.
Sophomore center Katie Rossetti (Wauconda, Ill.) had three points, a team-best eight rebounds, four blocked shots and two assists. Freshman guard Gabby Atkins (Southern Door, Wis.) also chipped in three points with freshman forward Kayla Stefka (Johnsburg, Ill.), freshman center Celina Schwantes (Pewaukee, Wis.) and freshman forward Amanda Hooks (Mequon, Wis.) each adding two points.
Freshman forward/center Josie Summerville registered a double-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds, three steals and two blocked shots for North Park, which improved to 3-5 in conference and 7-10 overall. Freshman forward Jayla Johnson had 17 points, eight rebounds and a steal for the Vikings, who made two 3-pointers, 12 of 23 free throws and shot 42.4 percent from the field. 
Sophomore guard Zakiya Newsome added 12 points for North Park, which outrebounded the Pioneers 40-35, scored 44 points in the paint and had 16 second-chance points in the contest.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to North Park University 70-69 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday.
Records: 2-5 in CCIW and 7-9 overall
Scoring Leaders: Sierra Grubor (30 points), Alyssa Cruz (21 points), Theresa Wichser (6 points), Katie Rossetti (3 points), Gabby Atkins (3 points)
Notable: An opportunity to shoot two potential game-changing free throws with 1.3 seconds remaining was wiped out as the result of a stunning changed call by the officials.