BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Freshman forward Blake Williams (Lone Tree, Colo.) scored a team-high 19 points with three baskets from 3-point range, 6 of 6 free throws, four rebounds and an assist as the fifth-seeded Carroll University men's basketball team lost to fourth-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University 82-73 in the first round of the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin Tournament at the Shirk Center on Tuesday night.
The disappointing road loss ended a hard-fought, memorable season for Carroll, which finished the year 11-15 overall.
It was the first CCIW Tournament appearance for Carroll since re-joining the high-powered, nationally recognized league in 2016 and first postseason berth since 2015-16 (where it advanced to the finals of the Midwest Conference Tournament and lost 71-69 to St. Norbert on Feb. 27, 2016).
Illinois Wesleyan, which improved to 18-8 overall, advanced to face top-seeded Augustana in the semifinals at Rock Island, Ill, at 7 p.m. Friday. Third-seeded Wheaton defeated sixth-seeded Elmhurst 85-75 in the other first-round contest and is scheduled to meet second-seeded North Central in the first semifinal at 5 p.m.
The Pioneers trailed 39-35 at halftime but were outscored 43-38 in the second half, including what proved to be a decisive 10-2 run over the course of the opening three minutes.
"Overall, it was a fun season where we learned a lot each step of the way so hopefully we can make the most of the experience and carry it over into next year," said Williams, who had 16 points in the second half, highlighted by eight consecutive points capped with a long-range 3-pointer from the right, top portion of the perimeter to cut the lead to 79-70 with 35.2 seconds left. "Losing six seniors is tough but we plan to play hard, build on their tradition and do our best to make it back.
"Heading into the second half, we approached it with the mindset that our season was on the line and just tried to go after it and do everything we needed to do. Even though it didn't turn out the way we wanted, we battled hard for it and didn't go down without a fight. Having not played in a tournament like this in high school, getting the opportunity to compete in a conference tournament at the college level was a surreal experience. The seniors hadn't been back to the playoffs since their freshman year so we really wanted to get a victory for them. Unfortunately, it just didn't work out."
Carroll trimmed the deficit to eight points twice within the final 10 minutes, including a layup by junior guard/forward Charlie Soule (Oregon, Wis.) off an assist from sophomore guard Ryan Clarey (Pewaukee, Wis.) to cut the lead to 55-47 with 9:41 remaining but couldn't get any closer.
Soule and Clarey each contributed nine points for the Pioneers, who made five 3-pointers, 16 of 19 free throws and shot 48.1 percent from field-goal range. Senior guard Ray Pierce (Milwaukee, Wis.) and junior guard Nick Penny (Lake Zurich, Ill.) each followed with eight points and senior forward Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.) had six points.
Senior guard Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.) and senior forward Anthony Marlowe (South Milwaukee, Wis.) each added five points.
Carroll sixth-year head coach Paul Combs was quick to point out how the veteran-laden, high-energy IWU lineup became a key factor throughout the battle.
"Illinois Wesleyan came out with a lot of energy in both the first and second halves, put us in a position where we needed to play from behind and gradually took control of the game," said Combs, whose team split the regular-season series with IWU (including an inspired 90-83 upset on the road of the then-ranked No. 15 Titans on Dec. 15). "When that happened, it forced us into playing more of a scramble defense rather than our usual, strong straight up man-to-man. Being a proud program with a ton of experience (including four seniors in the starting lineup), they used it to their advantage and simply made the plays when they needed them. They played with terrific toughness on the defensive end and combined that with the confident play of (senior guard) Brady Rose. On a team of their caliber, that confidence became very contagious and led to a belief that everyone could make shots and contribute. From a defensive standpoint, it became a daunting task for us to maintain that same intensity on every possession that followed. In the second half, we came out attempting to get some key stops and big shots to build momentum but it just didn't happen.
"That said, I'm very proud of our team, the program and what we accomplished this season. Over the course of the last eight weeks, we made some great strides both on and off the floor and represented Carroll in a first-class way. Our seniors have carried the torch and laid the foundation for the years to come. We were certainly disappointed with the loss but the experience of making the CCIW Tournament and playing in one of the best facilities in the country will only help our younger returning players as we move forward. In hindsight, it was a season with a lot of challenges and adversity but we became better people because of the way we handled the situation."
It was the final collegiate game for seniors Joey Archer (West Allis, Wis.), Howat (Plainfield, Ill.), Ingebrigtsen, Marlowe, Pierce (Milwaukee, Wis.).and E.J. Weems-Curry (El Paso, Texas).
Rose scored a game-high 24 points with four 3-pointers and three assists to lead IWU, which made 10 3-pointers, 16 of 19 free throws and shot 53.8 percent from the field en route to its seventh straight victory.

PIONEER FAST FACTS
What: The fifth-seeded Carroll University men's basketball team lost to fourth-seeded Illinois Wesleyan 82-73 in the first round of the College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin Tournament at the Shirk Center on Tuesday night.
Scoring Leaders: Blake Williams (19 points), Charlie Soule (9 points), Ryan Clarey (9 points), Ray Pierce (8 points), Nick Penny (8 points), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (6 points), Troy Howat (5 points), Anthony Marlowe (5 points), Kale Maupin (4 points)
Notable: The Pioneers trailed 39-35 at halftime but were outscored 43-38 in the second half, including what proved to be a decisive 10-2 run over the course of the opening three minutes; It was the final collegiate game for seniors Joey Archer (West Allis, Wis.), Troy Howat (Plainfield, Ill.), Tyler Ingebrigtsen (Elk Grove, Ill.), Anthony Marlowe (South Milwaukee, Wis.), Ray Pierce (Milwaukee, Wis.), E.J. Weems-Curry (El Paso, Texas).and student manager Nicholas Padesky.