WAUKESHA, Wis. - Senior guard Ray Pierce (Milwaukee, Wis.) scored 10 of his 14 points in the second half but it wasn't quite enough to help complete a dramatic comeback as the Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Illinois Wesleyan University 86-80 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin regular-season finale in front of a large, enthusiastic crowd at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
The hard-fought home-court loss snapped a critical, four-game late-season winning streak for Carroll, which dropped to 7-9 in the highly contested conference standings and 11-14 overall following the spirited, emotional Senior Day performance.
Despite the final outcome, Carroll secured the No. 5 seed in the upcoming CCIW Tournament and will travel to face fourth-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in a first-round rematch at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill. on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
The Pioneers remained tied with Elmhurst in the league standings following the contest but earned the fifth seed as the result of a tiebreaker.
Trailing 82-71 with 2:30 remaining, Carroll responded with a pressure-packed 9-0 run to cut the deficit to two points with 31.9 seconds left but couldn't get any closer.
Pierce, whose relentless effort perfectly epitomized this year's senior class and its approach to the game, was a force during the high-octane late-game scoring surge by powering the run with seven points - including an aggressive, hard-driving reverse layup to trim the deficit to 82-80 with time winding down.
The Pioneers were forced to foul down the stretch and IWU made 4 of 4 free throws within the final 19 seconds to seal a tension-filled victory.
"After beating them in December (90-83) at their place, we knew they were going to come in ready to fight so we just attempted to leave it all out on the court," said Pierce, of the team's mindset heading into the battle. "Even though it was Senior Day, our approach to the game didn't change very much but unfortunately we didn't come away with the win. During the final few minutes of the game, I kept thinking that this is the last time I'll get to play in this gym so I just tried to go out there and put on a good show for my family and everyone who came out. As a team, it's something we all tried to do but just came up a little short at the end.
"Looking back, it was an emotionally sad day but also a happy one because our season isn't over yet and we're heading for Illinois Wesleyan on Tuesday for the start of the CCIW Tournament. It's late in the season but we learned a lot from the experience. Now we just need to build off of it, make the necessary adjustments and see what we can do. Having not been to the postseason since my freshman year, we're going to make the most of it."
Junior forward Kale Maupin (Peotone, Ill.) had 14 points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals for the Pioneers, who made five baskets from 3-point range, 13 of 18 free throws and shot 57.4 percent from field-goal range. Sophomore guard Ryan Clarey (Pewaukee, Wis.) followed with 11 points and junior guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) had nine points.
Senior guard Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.) and junior guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) each contributed eight points for Carroll.
Senior forward Anthony Marlowe (South Milwa ukee, Wis.) contributed six points, five assists, two rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. Senior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.) had six points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal.
"It was a classic, gritty CCIW game where both teams played at a high level the entire way," said Carroll sixth-year head coach Paul Combs, whose team led 16-8 after the opening six minutes - including a game-opening 9-0 run. "Both teams made their respective runs but IWU's ability to shoot the 3-pointers became a key factor throughout the course of the first half (referring to the Titans' 9-of-13 long-range shooting). Give credit where credit is due because they stepped up and consistently made the plays to earn the victory.
"With it not only being Senior Day but also the last regular-season home game at Van Male this season, there was some added emotion, stress and pressure but I was incredibly proud of how our seniors (referring to Pierce, Joey Archer (West Allis, Wis.), Howat, Ingebrigtsen, Marlowe, E.J. Weems-Curry (El Paso, Texas) and Nicholas Padesky) set the tone with their effort. They have been the backbone of our program for a long time and truly left it all out on the court today."
Senior guard Brady Rose scored a game-high 20 points with five 3-pointers, 3 of 4 free throws, two assists and a steal for IWU, which won its sixth straight to improve to 10-6 in conference and 17-8 overall. Senior guard Colin Bennett added 17 points with three 3-pointers, 6 of 7 free throws, four rebounds, two assists, one steal and a blocked shot for the Titans, who converted 12 3-pointers, 16 of 20 free throws and shot 58 percent from the field. 
IWU, which outrebounded the Pioneers 25-23, shot a blazing 69 percent from 3-point range in the momentum-building first half.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The Carroll University men's basketball team lost to Illinois Wesleyan University 86-80 in a spirited College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin regular-season finale at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Records: 7-9 in CCIW and 11-14 overall
Up Next: Fifth-seeded Carroll will travel to face fourth-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in the first-round of the CCIW Tournament at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill. on Tuesday, Feb. 19 at 7 p.m.
Scoring Leaders: Ray Pierce (14 points), Kale Maupin (14 points), Ryan Clarey (11 points), Charlie Soule (9 points), Troy Howat (8 points), Nick Penny (8 points), Anthony Marlowe (6 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (6 points)
Notable: The program honored seniors Joey Archer, Troy Howat, Tyler Ingebrigtsen, Anthony Marlowe, Ray Pierce, E,J. Weeme-Curry and Nicholas Padesky in a special pregame ceremony; Trailing 82-71 with 2:30 remaining, Carroll responded with a pressure-packed 9-0 run to trim the deficit to two points with 31.9 seconds left but couldn't get any closer.