WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University men's basketball team scored 37 points in the second half to outlast Aurora University with a 67-58 win on the second day of the 2021 Pioneer Tip-Off Classic.
Justin Steinike scored 17 points in the second half on 5-7 shooting including 7-8 at the free-throw line to power the men to victory.
Eckahelo Simpson pulled in eight rebounds, including five offensive boards, while
Justin Gruber handed out a team-high five assists.
The Pioneers (2-2, 0-0 CCIW) bounced back to .500 through four games this season. Carroll shot 46.7% for the whole game, while only taking 45 shots. Carroll had 27 free-throw opportunities and cashed in on 21 of them. Carroll lived in the paint with 30 points, and the bench added 27 points, including 16 from
Ryan Mendoza. The game was tied 11 times and there were 17 lead changes in this nail-biter.
Paradisio Dante (13 PTS, 4 REB) got his first career start tonight and scored Carroll's first basket three minutes after the tip. Mendoza came off the bench and knocked down a three-point basket off a turnover to give Carroll a four-point lead with 13:53 remaining in the first half. The Spartans retook the lead and went back and forth with the Pioneers over the duration of the first half. Carroll led by as much as six under five to play thanks to a
Justin Gruber three-pointer off a turnover. Aurora ended the first half on a 10-6 run, however, to take a one-point lead into halftime.
Steinike made Carroll's first two baskets to open up the second half two minutes into the action. After a
Carter Sturgeon steal, and two E Simpson offensive rebounds,
Gio Carrillo knocked down a three-pointer with 13:01 remaining to give Carroll a five-point lead and forced an Aurora timeout. Aurora came out of the break with an 11-2 run to take a four-point lead with 9:48 remaining. With a 48-42 lead for the Spartans, Carroll ended the game on a 25-10 run, led by Steinike's 13 points.
The Pioneers host another four-team tournament next weekend in the Pioneer Pre-Thanksgiving Classic.
