DECATUR, Ill. – The Carroll University men's basketball team was minutes away from a road CCIW victory over Millikin, but surrendered the lead in the final seconds, 73-74. Three Pioneers scored in double figures, including a career-high 21 points from Kobe Simpson on 7-14 shooting.
 
The Pioneers (3-6, 0-3 CCIW) overcame a halftime deficit with a 44-point second half, but 18 turnovers proved costly, as Millikin scored 24 points off of Pioneer blunders. Carroll shot 52% from the floor while making 5-15 threes and 16-20 free throws. Carroll's bench was outscored 15-32,  but the Pios held a two-point advantage in the paint scoring. The back-and-forth game had 12 lead changes with eight ties.
 
Millikin started the game on a 7-2 run but the Pioneers were able to catch up and cut it to one thanks to a layup by Kobe. Kobe's next layup gave Carroll the lead with 13:32 left in the first half. Millikin's 10-0 run was silenced by Paradiso Dante, and Kobe scored three points to help Carroll cut the lead to three. Dante tied the game with 3:18 left but Millikin knocked down two straight threes to jump back out in front. Both groups went back and forth in the final minutes, as Millikin took a five-point lead into halftime.
 
Millikin increased their lead in the beginning of the second half to nine, but Aaron Wafford stopped the damage and the Pios called a quick timeout. Kobe knocked down a jumper outside the paint to tie the game, and after Millikin jumped ahead again, Justin Steinike scored eight of the Pioneers' next 11 points to take a one-point lead with 10:07 left in the contest. Kobe kept the Pioneers ahead with free throws with just over five minutes to go, but Millikin kept their hold on the game and jumped ahead again. Eckhaelo Simpson scored his second basket of the game to tie the game 71-71, and Kobe scored the go-ahead bucket with under a minute left. After an offensive foul by the Pioneers, Millikin hit a three-pointer to take the lead out of timeout. Carroll's last possession shot missed in the final seconds.
 
Carroll has another contest after Christmas, on the road on December 30 at Lake Forest.