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Carroll University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Kylie Bridenhagen
69
Winner Augustana (IL) AUGIE 12-6,6-3 CCIW
65
Carroll (WI) CARROLL 9-9,2-7 CCIW
Winner
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
12-6,6-3 CCIW
69
Final
65
Carroll (WI) CARROLL
9-9,2-7 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 37 32 69
Carroll (WI) CARROLL 24 41 65

Game Recap: Men's Basketball | | By Jeff Hagenau

Resilient second-half comeback falls short in final seconds

Pioneers lose to fierce rival Augustana in key CCIW home-court showdown

WAUKESHA, Wis. - Adversity can often test the psyche of a hungry, determined team working to get back on track.
The Carroll University men's basketball team experienced that first-hand as it lost to Augustana College 69-65 in a hard-fought, spirited College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin battle between longtime, traditional league rivals at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
It was the sixth consecutive conference loss for Carroll, which dropped to 2-7 in the highly competitive league standings and 9-9 overall with the frustrating Pio Pride Day setback.
The Pioneers' last three losses have each come by a four-point margin.
Trailing 41-24 after the opening three minutes of the second half, Carroll answered with a poised, resilient 30-12 run over the course of  a momentum-shifting 10-minute stretch to claim a 54-53 lead with 7:40 remaining.
The explosive, energized scoring surge was powered on nine points from senior forward Kale Maupin, capped with an inside basket to take the lead.
Junior guard Tarren Hall contributed eight points, senior guard Nick Penny followed with six points, junior guard Justin Gruber had three points with sophomore guard/forward Blake Williams and senior guard David Anilus each scoring on hard-driving layups during the spree.
The lead was short lived as Augustana responded with what became a decisive 16-11 run during the final seven minutes.
Carroll tied the game 62-62 on a clutch, pressure-packed 3-point basket from the right, top portion of the perimeter by junior point guard Ryan Clarey with 2:16 left but couldn't complete the comeback.
The Pioneers trailed 67-65 with time winding down and missed on a strong drive to the basket with four seconds left in regulation.
Carroll immediately fouled and Augustana abruptly made two free throws to put the game away.
"Sadly, it isn't the first time we've been in that situation and experienced the same result but I wouldn't go to war with anyone else but this group," Clarey said. "We started out stagnant but talked at halftime, made a few adjustments and the 1-3-1 really got us going in the second half. That's when we started to see some good results. We just knew that we had to come out shot ready and play nasty on the boards. My goal is to always drive hard in hopes of kicking the ball out to one of my teammates for the open shot. If that doesn't happen and the opportunities present themselves, I just attempt to take a few myself. That's how it went today.
"We continued to battle non-stop without any hesitation as the game went on. It would've been nice to start off that way in the beginning but I think we're heading in the right direction and good things are coming. It was cool to feel the support of the large fan base and see all of the school spirit from beginning to end. At this point, we will just take a look at the film, evaluate the pros and cons of the game and look to build off of it. We always say that the next game could be the turning point in the season but this second-half effort showed what we are all about and what we can be if we continue to play hard down the stretch."
Penny contributed a team-high 12 points with 3 of 4 free throws, three rebounds, three assists and a steal to lead Carroll, which converted eight baskets from 3-point range, 7 of 11 free throws and shot 44.6 percent from field-goal range. Williams followed with 11 points, five rebounds, two steals, one assist and a blocked shot.
Clarey chipped in 10 points with two 3-pointers and a team-best seven assists for the Pioneers. Maupin and Hall also had 10 points each. Gruber had six points with two 3-pointers and senior forward Charlie Soule added four points.
Carroll, which generated 14 assists, forced 17 turnovers and committed only six of its own, was outrebounded 37-19.
"We battled throughout the day and expended a lot of energy trying to get back in the game," Carroll seventh-year head coach Paul Combs said. "Augustana came out, made 7 of 10 from 3-point range in the first half and built a nice cushion. Once we did get back into it, we had to dig down and scramble to maintain it in the final minutes. It was as hard of a 20-minute second half as we've played all season and we had our share of opportunities. Unfortunately, we were short on some shots and missed some free throws.
"In the second half, we switched to our aggressive, full-court zone and tried to switch the tempo up to take them out of their offensive rhythm. At that point, we were down by 13 points and it was all about making the most of each possession. We just attemped to accelerate our defense, which we had success with in December in the first meeting at their place, and came out swinging. It was the right decision and played a key role in helping us get back in the game. Augustana just made plays down the stretch when they needed to and took advantage of the situation with the game on the line. It's been a common theme over the past month but the result wasn't from a lack of effort."
Senior forward Pierson Wofford scored a game-high 26 points with four 3-pointers, game-high nine rebounds, three assists and a steal for Augustana, which improved to 6-3 in conference and 12-6 overall. Six-foot-11 senior center Micah Martin added 15 points with 7 of 10 free throws, seven rebounds, two blocked shots and an assist for the Vikings, who made nine 3-pointers, 16 of 20 free throws and shot 47.8 percent from the field.
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 Augustana College 69-65 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Saturday afternoon.
Records: 2-7 in CCIW and 9-9 overall
Scoring Leaders: Nick Penny (12 points), Blake Williams (11 points), Ryan Clarey (10 points), Kale Maupin (10 points), Tarren Hall (10 points), Justin Gruber (6 points)
Rebound Leaders: Williams (5), Penny (3), Maupin (3), David Anilus (3), Hall (2)
Notable: Carroll trailed 41-24 after the opening three minutes of the second half but answered with a poised, resilient 30-12 run over the course of  a momentum-shifting 10-minute stretch to claim a 54-53 lead with 7:40 remaining. The lead was short lived as Augustana responded with what became a decisive 16-11 run during the final seven minutes.

 
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