Waukesha, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team hosted Carthage College for their second game of the conference series on Tuesday night in Van Male Field House. The women came away victorious, 56-47.
Elizabeth Behrndt returned to the starting lineup and finished with a 15 rebound (career-high) and 12-point evening for her second double-double.
Kayla Stefka finished with 13 points shooting 50% from the floor.
The Pioneers (5-2, 5-2 CCIW) have passed their conference win total from a year ago in just seven games. A strong second quarter in which the women scored 25 points on 10-16 FGM and 4-6 3PM gave them a large enough lead into halftime to hold on to the win. The Pioneers shared the wealth with 15 assists, including nine from
Kate Christian, a career-best. Carthage foul trouble gave the Pioneers 13 attempts at free-throws, and they cashed in on seven of them.
The first quarter began with the Pioneers taking a 7-2 lead through the first 2:30, a
Brooke Foster (9 PTS, 3-3 3PM) three-pointer from Stefka gave the team the five-point advantage. Carthage quickly made up those lost points and the Pios found themselves tied 10-10 with 4:59 remaining. After Behrndt scored with 3:46 remaining, no team could sink a basket until Carthage's buzzer-beater tied the game at 12. Stefka kicked off the second quarter with a layup, leading to a Pioneer 15-0 run. Christian collected two, three-point plays during the run, and
Theresa Wichser (6 PTS, 2-3 3PM) pulled up on a three-point fast-break jump shot and cashed it in. Carthage cut the lead to ten, but
Katie Rohner (5 PTS, 3 REB) hit a three with 3:33 remaining to keep the momentum with the Pios. Wichser hit her second three of the game from Christian's seventh assist to keep the lead at 15 going into halftime.
Carthage started the second half on a 7-1 run in the first four minutes. The Pioneers were only able to collect points from free-throws until there was 1:09 remaining in the third when Behrndt ended the missed field-goal streak. Behrndt collected her double-double through just three quarters, after her layup with under five seconds remaining in the quarter gave her 10 points, 13 rebounds. Behrndt, Christian, and Foster all connected with baskets to start the fourth, giving Carroll a 17-point lead, their largest of the game. Carthage made attempts to close out on the lead, but they were only able to cut it to nine before the final buzzer rang.
Carroll begins a two-game weekend series with Wheaton College on Thursday, Feb. 18 down in Wheaton Ill. Wheaton sits atop of the CCIW this season with a 7-1 record and is currently ranked no. 14 in the latest D3hoops.com Top-15 ranking. The Pioneers defeated Wheaton on the road last year 73-64.
