WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team suffered its third-straight loss to the Augustana Vikings over the past two seasons, falling 64-67 on the road Sunday afternoon.
Olivia Rangel scored 21 with 10 rebounds for Carroll in the loss.
The Pioneers (8-6, 3-2 CCIW), who were down by 13 at one point in the contest, cut the lead down to just two in the fourth quarter, but could not generate enough stops to secure the comeback. Carroll's 21 points in the fourth quarter on 10-18 shooting fell short of the Vikings' 45% shooting for the game. Carroll went 0-12 from behind the arc, but pulled in 38 rebounds. Carroll's bench couldn't overcome Augie's bench, but Carroll dominated in the paint.
Carroll started the game with a 2-0 lead but quickly fell down on a 9-0 run by the Vikings. Rangel helped the Pioneers claw back into the game, cutting it to three, but the Vikings had answers for every Pioneer possession. Carroll only mustered 10 points in the first quarter as the Vikings took an 18-10 lead into the second quarter. Carroll was down by 10 early on the in the second, but
Kate Christian and
Katie Evans helped cut the deficit to just two with 5:43 left in the first half but Augie knocked down a three to start a 11-0 run to go up 13 points less than three minutes later. A pair of
Brooke Foster free throws cut the game to single digits going into halftime.
Augie had an 11 point lead early into the second half, but a few baskets in the paint for Carroll had them close the gap to just five.
Emilie Wizner drew an and-one play with a successful free throw to cut the game to four with 1:08 until the fourth quarter, but Augustana quickly turned around and led by eight again before the end of the third. The Vikings started the fourth going back up to 11, but Foster and Rangel cut back into the lead with a 7-0 run in the opening three minutes. Rangel generated a steal and a fast-break layup on the other end to cut the deficit to just two with 1:40 left, but Carroll wouldn't score again with two turnovers and two missed three-point attempts in the final minute.
The Pioneers come back to Van Male Field House to take on Elmhurst on Wednesday, January 11 at 7 PM.
