WAUKESHA, Wis. - Freshman forward Kayla Stefka (Johnsburg, Ill.) scored 14 of her season-high 22 points in the fourth quarter but it wasn't enough as the Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Elmhurst College 77-70 in a tough, physical College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
It was the second consecutive conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 2-4 in the league standings and 7-8 overall.
The Pioneers, who worked with a short-handed nine-player roster, led 37-34 at the intermission but were outscored 43-33 in the second half, including a 22-18 margin in the fourth quarter.
It was an impressive individual performance for Stefka, who contributed 11 straight points to power a valiant fourth-quarter comeback - highlighted by a pressure-packed 3-point basket from the right, top portion of the perimeter to trim the deficit to 64-61 with 4:50 remaining.
Elmhurst abruptly answered with what proved to be a decisive 13-9 run over the course of the final five minutes - powered on back-to-back momentum-shifting 3-point baskets by sophomore guards Marissa Urso and Kelly Weyhrich.
Stefka - one of six freshmen on the roster this season - finished the night with three baskets from 3-point range, six rebounds and an assist in playing 27 minutes.
Sophomore center Katie Rossetti (Wauconda, Ill.) followed with a season-best 21 points for the Pioneers, who made four 3-pointers, 14 of 22 free  throws and shot 49.1 percent from field-goal range.
Rossetti was a force in the lane throughout the contest, scoring 11 points in the second half - including six straight points to extend the lead to 43-41 with 7:26 left in the third quarter.
Freshman guard Sierra Grubor (Milwaukee, Wis.) contributed 11 points and five rebounds for the Pioneers, who generated 14 assists. Sophomore guard Emily Majerus (Plymouth, Wis.) had five points, team-best six assists, four rebounds and a steal. Freshman guard Theresa Wichser (Waukesha, Wis.) added five points and freshman center Celina Schwantes (Pewaukee, Wis.) pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.
"In our previous two games versus North Central and Wheaton, I really thought we were beginning to jell and develop a good rhythm but instead came out a little stagnant tonight in the first half," said Carroll third-year head coach Lindsay Schultz, whose team entered the contest tied for fifth in the CCIW standings. ""Elmhurst does a nice job of playing defense and being physical. We just had a tough time responding to it.
"Throughout the night, we struggled defensively and lacked the intensity needed to stop their penetration and kick-out passes to the perimeter. As that happened, it really hurt us. We attempted to lock down on them and couldn't make the consistent stops. With the strength of this conference, that's what you need to do in order to create opportunities and go on a big run. From start to finish our youth showed and we didn't maintain our mental focus at key times. Kayla (Stefka) and Katie (Rossetti) gave us a great presence in the post and provided a nice spark but it wasn't enough this time around. We just need to learn from the experience, push through it and continue to move forward."
Urso scored a team-high 15 points with four 3-pointers, five rebounds and three steals for Elmhurst, which improved to 3-3 in conference and 7-8 overall. Weyhrich had 13 points with three 3-pointers and sophomore forward Courtney O' Donnell added 10 points for the Bluejays, who made 10 3-pointers, 15 of 19 free throws and shot 45.6 percent from the field.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University women's basketball team lost to Elmhurst College 77-70 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
Current Records: 2-4 in CCIW and 7-8 overall
Scoring Leaders: Kayla Stefka (22 points), Katie Rossetti (21 points), Sierra Grubor (11 points), Theresa Wichser (5 points), Emily Majerus (5 points), Alyssa Cruz (4 points)
Rebound Leaders: Celina Schwantes (7), Stefka (6), Grubor (5), Majerus (4), Cruz (3)
Notable: The Pioneers were outscored 43-33 in the second half, including a 22-18 margin in the decisive fourth quarter.