WAUKESHA, Wis. - Close, gut-wrenching losses can often test the backbone of a hungry team striving to reach its full potential.
The steadily improving Carroll University men's basketball team experienced that firsthand as it lost to league co-leader Elmhurst College 74-70 in a tough, physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin showdown at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
It was the second home-court conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 1-4 in the league standings and 5-9 overall.
The Pioneers led 40-32 at the intermission but were outscored 42-30 in the second half - including five unanswered points over the course of the final 27 seconds.
Sophomore guard Jake Rhode scored what proved to be the winning basket on a hard-driving reverse layup to reclaim a 71-70 lead with 27 seconds remaining for Elmhurst, which won its fourth straight to improve to 4-0 in the conference standings and 9-4 overall.  
Carroll struggled to finish down the stretch, missing two pressure-packed free throws and a layup within the final 14 seconds.
Junior guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) scored a team-high 18 points with five baskets from 3-point range, three rebounds, two steals and an assist to lead the Pioneers.
Penny was a force in the second half, scoring eight consecutive points during a key two minute stretch - highlighted by a wide-open 3-pointer from the left baseline to extend the Carroll lead to 58-50 with 8:54 remaining.
"It was a tough game against one of the top teams in the conference so even though we lost there were a lot of positives to build on," said Penny, who was selected to the all-tournament team following the conclusion of the Randolph-Macon Coaches Tournament held over the holiday break. "There are no moral victories of course but we learned quite a bit from this experience. We had a good lead in the second half (referring to a 47-36 margin with 16:50 left) but just need to continue learning how to finish games.
"Throughout the season, we've shown that we have the ability to compete with anyone so now we have to go out there, play hard and do it. At this point, we can't afford to be complacent and become content with watching the scoreboard. There were multiple times when we had opportunities to take advantage of the situation and couldn't get it done. We just have to work on making the necessary adjustments, do our best to execute on every possession and take the next step forward."
Senior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.) followed with 13 points and sophomore guard Tarren Hall (New Lisbon, Wis.) had 11 points for Carroll, which made six 3-pointers, 12 of 19 free throws and shot 51 percent from field-goal range.
Senior forward Anthony Marlowe (South Milwaukee, Wis.) chipped in seven points, three rebounds and two assists with sophomore guard Ryan Clarey (Pewaukee, Wis.) adding six points, a team-best seven rebounds, three assists, two steals and a blocked shot.
"It was a true, grind-it-out CCIW battle the entire way," Carroll sixth-year head coach Paul Combs said. "Looking back on the way it played out, you have to tip your hat to Elmhurst and the way they executed down the stretch. Jake (Rhode) made two unbelievable circus type shots to keep them in it with time running out. Both offensively and defensively, we had our share of opportunities and just struggled to finish. They simply made a few more plays than we did and it became the difference in the end.
"Despite the loss, I want to commend our team for playing with a tremendous amount of heart and passion each step of the way. When we would make some mistakes, they were aggressive, hustle mistakes that came from trying to make something positive happen. There were a lot of good teaching points to learn from so we're going to get after it in practice, do our best to get back on track and move forward."
Rhode scored a game-high 21 points with two 3-pointers and 7 of 7 free throws for Elmhurst, which made seven 3-pointers, 15 of 18 free throws and shot 45.6 percent from the field. Senior 6-foot-7, 225-pound forward/center Jeremy Ireland also contributed 21 points, seven rebounds, four assists, a blocked shot and a steal to complete a 1-2 scoring punch for the Bluejays.
Elmhurst outrebounded the Pioneers 31-30, including a 14-11 advantage on the offensive glass.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to league co-leader Elmhurst College 74-70 in a tough, physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin showdown at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
Records: 1-4 in CCIW and 5-9 overall
Scoring Leaders: Nick Penny (18 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (13 points), Tarren Hall (11 points), Anthony Marlowe (7 points), Ryan Clarey (6 points)
Rebound Leaders: Clarey (7), Penny (3), Charlie Soule (3), Kale Maupin (3), Marlowe (3), Ray Pierce (3)
Notable: The Pioneers led 40-32 at the intermission but were outscored 42-30 in the second half - including five unanswered points over the course of the final 27 seconds.