Decatur, Ill. – The Carroll University women's basketball team ended their historic 2020-21 season in the CCIW Women's Basketball Tournament today against Millikin by a score of 68-90. Brooke Foster led the team with 13 points with 3-6 3PM and five assists. Theresa Wichser (12 PTS, 4-12 3PM) etched her name into the Carroll Women's basketball history books with her third three-pointer of the game, to break the school record for most three-point baskets made in a career.
 
The Pioneers (7-6, 6-5 CCIW) shot 41.9% from the floor and 11-32 from behind the arc, but the Millikin Big Blue was lighting up the floor, shooting 46.4% for the game, including a 37-point, 78.9% second quarter. The Pioneers struggled with foul trouble as well, giving Millikin 13 free-throws. Both teams scored 20+ points off of turnovers, but Millikin had the edge with 15 steals and created 29 points.
 
Millikin controlled the ball from the jump, starting out with an 8-0 run. Out of a quick thirty second time-out, Foster responded with a three-pointer and the first basket of the game. Wichser went on a 9-0 run of her own to take a three-point lead, and at the 4:10 minute mark became the new program leader in three-point baskets made, thanks to a Katie Evans (5 PTS, 3 AST) assist. Lauren Soyke (5 PTS) kept the score tied in her first career start, but Millikin took a one-point lead after one quarter. Elizabeth Behrndt (10 PTS, 7 REB) started the Pio scoring in the second quarter with her second layup of the game. Allison Thompson (6 PTS, 6 REB) tied the game with her second bucket in a row with 8:16 remaining, before Millikin took the lead right back. The Big Blue refused to miss, going on a 17-4 run before Marissa Murray (9 PTS, 6 REB) added three-points to try and stop the run. Foster helped cut it to eight with a three, but Millikin responded with one of their own to end the half up 11.
 
Two Foster fouls started the second half giving Millikin two shots at the free-throw line. The Big Blue worked the lead up to 20 during a Pioneer scoring drought that was ended by an Evans fast-break layup in the paint. Millikin ended the third quarter up 18 points after Carroll surrendered six turnovers in the quarter. After Millikin took a 23-point lead, Murray responded with a three-point play in the paint. A Three-pointer from Wichser and a fast-break layup in the paint from Foster cut the lead to 15 with 6:27 left. Millikin still continued to make shots and free-throws, ending the game up 22 points.
 
At 6-5, the Pioneers recorded their best CCIW conference record since rejoining the league in 2016-17. This was Carroll's first appearance in the CCIW Tournament in program history, and became the first team in all of Carroll Athletics to win a CCIW Tournament contest with the win over Augustana on Thursday night.