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Carroll University Athletics

Scoreboard

Scoreboard

Kylie Bridenhagen
47
North Park NPU 4-17,2-10 CCIW
69
Winner Carroll (WI) CAR 10-11,3-9 CCIW
North Park NPU
4-17,2-10 CCIW
47
Final
69
Carroll (WI) CAR
10-11,3-9 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 F
North Park NPU 20 27 47
Carroll (WI) CAR 32 37 69

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

Statement-making defensive effort powers Pioneers in rout

Penny, Maupin star in CCIW home-court victory over North Park; Carroll remains in hunt for tourney berth

WAUKESHA, Wis. - One big victory can often erase the memory of a string of stinging losses and motivate a team to play with a heightened sense of urgency.
The Carroll University men's basketball team demonstrated that point as it defeated North Park University 69-47 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
It was a critical home-court conference victory for Carroll, which snapped a frustrating eight-game losing streak as it improved to 3-9 in the highly contested league standings and 10-11 overall.
Carroll, which is seeking its second straight trip to the prestigious six-team CCIW Tournament, moved into sole possession of seventh place with four games remaining on the regular-season schedule - including three home games during that stretch.
North Central (9-2), Elmhurst (9-3), Augustana (9-3), Illinois Wesleyan (8-3), Wheaton (6-5) and Carthage (5-6) currently hold the top six spots in the league tourney race.
The Pioneers outscored North Park 32-20 in the opening half, highlighted by what became a decisive 9-2 run over the course of the final seven minutes.
Senior guard Nick Penny scored a game-high 19 points, including 4 of 5 baskets from 3-point range, 3 of 3 free throws and two rebounds to lead Carroll, which won for the first time since Dec. 22, 2019 (an 83-59 victory over Husson University in the final round of the Daytona Beach Shootout).
Penny scored 11 points in the pivotal first half with the first of his 3-pointers coming on a high-arcing shot-clock-beating turnaround jumper to give Carroll an early 6-4 lead with 16:58 remaining.
"It was a good way to bounce back and a long overdue victory after losing so many close games," said Penny, a second-team all-conference selection last year. "After last weekend's debacle (referring to a disheartening 88-44 road loss to Illinois Wesleyan), we just tried to put it in the rearview mirror and start something new. Looking forward, we don't have a choice and need to close the season on a strong note. This victory meant everything and was a perfect way to set the tone for that challenge. It was a step in the right direction and now we just have to build on it. We're behind the eight-ball and can't afford to become complacent so we're going to keep grinding hard each time we step on the court and attempt to claw our way into the tournament. All we can do is prepare and be ready for the next game."
Senior forward Kale Maupin followed with 17 points, five rebounds, three blocked shots, two assists and two steals for Carroll, which converted five 3-pointers, 16 of 21 free throws and shot 44.4 percent from field-goal range. Sophomore guard/forward Blake Williams contributed nine points with 3 of 3 free throws, five rebounds, two steals and an assist.
The Pioneers carried the momentum into the second half by outscoring North Park 37-27 - powered by a 14-2 run during the first eight minutes.
Maupin was an aggressive force in the post during the second half by contributing 10 points (highlighted by eight points during the key run).
"It was our first win of 2020 so it's been a long time coming," said the 6-foot-4 Maupin, of the team's inspired performance (noting Dr. Howard Fuller's inspirational pre-game visit with the team as being a catalyst). "It felt good to play a full 40 minutes and put together a complete effort on both ends of the floor. Tonight, our defense set the tone. Once that happened, it translated into success with the offense, we built a lead and managed to pull away. My teammates deserve all the credit in the way they worked hard to get me the ball. I just tried to be aggressive, make the most of the situation and finish on the opportunities.
"This will only continue to catapult us in the right direction as we move forward. It was all about playing with confidence on every single possession. We need to win every game from here on out to make the tournament so that's the plan we're focusing on."
Junior point guard Ryan Clarey chipped in eight points, a team-best five assists, four rebounds and a steal. Junior guards Tarren Hall and Justin Gruber each had six points with senior forward Charlie Soule adding three points.
The Pioneers, who forced 21 turnovers and registered 22 deflections behind a tenacious defensive effort, outrebounded North Park 33-21 in the contest - maintaining a statement-making 13-4 advantage on the offensive glass.
"The last five weeks have been a grind and almost unbearable at times but we have continued to fight through it, compete hard on every possession and play with a lot of pride in the program," Carroll seventh-year head coach Paul Combs said. "I feel bad for the guys because the effort and commitment have been there and they continue to do things the right way both on and off the floor. We deserve to see better outcomes so we feel very good about tonight's victory. Our conference tournament in essence began a few weeks ago so it means a lot on so many different levels. It was just a good feeling to see the ball go through the hoop, play unselfishly and back it up with strong team defense.
"We're just going to continue to grind and attempt to play good basketball over the next two weeks to give our seniors the best experience possible."
Karl Polk Jr. finished with a team-high 12 points and five rebounds for North Park, which dropped to 2-10 in conference and 4-17 overall. Toby Marek had 11 points for the Vikings, who made four 3-pointers, 5 of 8 free throws and shot 40.4 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 to a 69-47 victory over North Park University in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin game at Van Male Field House on Wednesday night.
Records: 3-9 in CCIW and 10-11 overall (snapped an eight-game losing streak in the process)
Scoring Leaders: Nick Penny (19 points), Kale Maupin (17 points), Blake Williams (9 points), Ryan Clarey (8 points), Tarren Hall (6 points), Justin Gruber (6 points), Charlie Soule (3 points)
Rebound Leaders: Soule (6), Maupin (5), Williams (5), Clarey (4), Hall (4), Penny (2), Dylan Ingebrigtsen (2)
Notable: Carroll, which forced 21 turnovers and registered 22 deflections, outscored North Park 32-20 in the first half - highlighted by what became a decisive 9-2 run over the course of the final seven minutes.

 
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