WAUKESHA, Wis. - Despite a valiant, hard-fought effort, the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to No. 14-ranked Wabash College 86-78 in the championship game of its own four-team Nicholas Investments Pre-Thanksgiving Classic at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the first loss of the season for Carroll, which came into the contest riding the momentum of a five-game winning streak but dropped to 5-1 overall.
Carroll was outscored 44-32 in what became the decisive first half, including a momentum-shifting 22-10 run over the course of the final six minutes.
It proved to be the key turning point as the Pioneers trimmed the deficit to seven points three times during the second half - highlighted by a three-point play by senior forward Charlie Soule to cut the lead to 82-75 with 34 seconds remaining - but couldn't get any closer.
Soule contributed a team-high 20 points with 5 of 6 free throws, two rebounds and an assist to lead Carroll, which made 21 of 24 free throws, five 3-point baskets and shot 54.2 percent from field-goal range.
"Wabash was very good, had an All-American starting and simply out-toughed us today," said the 6-foot-2 Soule, who was named to the all-tournament team after combining for 44 points with 11 of 12 free throws, seven rebounds, three assists and a blocked shot in the back-to-back games. "Throughout the game, they got a lot of rebounds, played under control and scored the ball very well during key situations. They scored on eight of 10 possessions to end the first half, built a lead and it created a lot of momentum. Even though we came out strong to start the second half, each time we threw a punch, they answered with one of their own.
"Being another very good team, it should serve as a great motivator and only help as we get ready for the CCIW. It was a tough loss but provided a good experience for a lot of the younger players on the team. If the seniors can continue to step up and lead the way, we'll be fine. We just have to learn from it and move on."
Senior guard Nick Penny followed with 16 points with junior point gard Ryan Clarey chipping in 13 points with 4 of 4 free throws, a team-best eight assists, three steals and three blocked shots for the Pioneers, who generated 12 assists. Sophomore guard/forward Blake Williams followed with 10 points and senior forward Kale Maupin had six points.
It was the third consecutive victory for Wabash, which improved to 3-1 overall.
Junior guard Jack Davidson, the reigning North Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year who was named to the 2019 D3hoops.com Preseason All-America team, finished with a game-high 24 points with five 3-pointers and made 4 of 4 free throws en route to being named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
The Little Giants, who made eight 3-pointers, 22 of 24 free throws and shot 49.1 percent from field-goal range, outrebounded the Pioneers by a 33-16 margin - maintaining a 12-2 advantage on the offensive glass.
"Both teams played in a physically draining game the night before so in a bounce-back matchup like this it was all about the systems and Wabash did a nice job of executing its game plan," said Carroll seventh-year head coach Paul Combs, of the intriguing championship-game matchup. "They were very physical inside, pounded the boards and every time they needed to make a big shot they did it. Because of the way both Simpson and Wabash defended us on the perimeter over the weekend, we struggled (noting Carroll's combined 10-for-41 effort from 3-point range in the tournament). Whether it be nonconference or the CCIW, that's just not going to get the job done.
"That said, we schedule this tournament in order to face really good teams and Wabash showed they are nationally ranked for a reason. Our effort was there but we just struggled to execute at the most important times. Even though we didn't come away with a victory, we have plenty of good basketball left to play and this experience will only help as we move forward.
"Looking back on the weekend, Charlie (Soule) had two terrific back-to-back games and more than deserved to be named to the all-tournament team. He is Mr. Consistency and continues to be a great captain and leader both on and off the floor. Considering that he is someone who has done so much of the behind-the-scenes work (that doesn't necessarily get noticed) the last few years, we were very proud and excited to see him acknowledged for his efforts."
Simpson defeated Greeneville University 161-160 in the wild third-place game. The battle took on historical significance as the two teams established an NCAA Division III record for most points scored in a single game.
Stay up to date on Carroll men's basketball this season by going online to www.gopios.com, or by following the Pioneers on Facebook (Carroll University Athletics), Twitter (@pio_athletics), and Instagram (@pio_athletics).
PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to No. 14-ranked Wabash College 86-78 in the championship game of its own four-team Nicholas Investments Pre-Thanksgiving Classic at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Record: 5-1 overall
Scoring Leaders: Charlie Soule (20 points), Nick Penny (16 points), Ryan Clarey (13 points), Blake Williams (10 points)
Notable: Carroll was outscored 44-32 in what became the decisive first half, including a momentum-shifting 22-10 run over the course of the final six minutes.
NICHOLAS INVESTMENTS PRE-THANKSGIVING CLASSIC
(at Van Male Field House)
First Round
Friday's Results
Carroll University 71, Simpson College 70
Wabash College 137, Greeneville University 131
Saturday's Results
Third-Place
Simpson 161, Greeneville 160 (NCAA Division III record for points in a single game)
Championship
Wabash 86, Carroll 78
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Senior forward Charlie Soule (Carroll), senior forward Sontiago Grady (Greeneville), senior guard Conor Riordan (Simpson), senior post Harrison Hallstrom (Wabash)
MOST VALUABLE PLAYER
Jack Davidson (Wabash)
