KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team pulled out an overtime conference road victory against Carthage College on Wednesday night, defeating the firebirds 51-45. Natalie Palzkill led all scorers with 14 points and eight rebounds. Elizabeth Behrndt pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds, while Kate Christian handed out five assists.
 
The Pioneers (10-3, 2-3 CCIW) hit the 10 win mark for the first time since the 2014-15 season, and for the first in Lindsay Schultz's coaching tenure. The Pioneers needed to earn this victory, as they finished at 29.6% shooting, 1-20 from behind the three-point line, and 18-31 from the foul line. The Pioneer defense held Carthage to 27.3% shooting and forced 25 turnovers with 11 steals. The Pioneer bench led by Chloe Halverson's 11 points outscored Carthage 20-14, while Carroll scored 28 of their 51 points inside the paint. Carroll almost lost the game after being held to just two points in the fourth quarter, but they returned the favor in overtime, holding Carthage to just 1-6 shooting and by getting to the free-throw line eight times.
 
The Pioneers got off to a quick start thanks to a jump shot outside the paint by reigning CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week, Katie Evans. Carthage took a 5-4 lead off a three-pointer, but two free throws from Natalie Palzkill retook the lead. Carthage finished the first quarter on a 5-0 run to take a 15-10 lead. The Pioneers responded with an 8-0 run led by four points from Halverson the first five minutes of the second quarter and held Carthage without a basket until the 4:23 mark. Behrndt and Laurent Soyke added four points for Carroll to go into halftime with a 24-20 lead after holding Carthage to just five points.
 
Evans scored Carroll's lone three-point basket on their first possession of the second half to start a quick 5-0 run to force a Carthage time out with a nine-point lead. Carroll grabbed its first double-digit lead of the night with 2:50 left in the third quarter and finished up nine going into the final period. The Pioneers failed to convert a basket in the fourth quarter, shooting 0-6 with eight turnovers. Carthage would have won the game with their 11 points if it had not been for two free throws, one by Allison Thompson and the other by Palzkill, to send the game to overtime. Palzkill quickly gave Carroll an overtime lead with her 13^th point of the game, while Halverson knocked in two free throws to take a four-point lead. Carroll finished 4-6 with under a minute to play at the free-throw line to secure a victory.
 
The Pioneers will host its first CCIW game in the New Year inside Van Male Field House on Saturday, January 8 at 2 PM. The Pioneers will face the Vikings of Augustana, who Carroll bested in the 2021 CCIW Tournament Quarterfinals.