WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll men's basketball opened the doors of Van Male Fieldhouse for the first time in the 2024-25 season falling to the Warhawks of UW-Whitewater by a score of 77-71 in a back-and-forth battle. The game saw 10 ties and 11 lead changes, with Carroll (1-1, 0-0 CCIW) controlling the majority of the first half and Whitewater (1-0, 0-0 WIAC) returning the favor to close the game out. 

Carroll shot over 43% from the field, including just under 32% from three-point land. UW-Whitewater finished the game with a 51.6% field goal percentage, including 62.5% inside the three-point line. In the second half, the Warhawks did not make a three, but shot 67% inside and scored 46 points to pull away from the Pioneers. The games leading scorer was Whitewater senior guard Jameer Barker, who scored 29 points in 32 minutes of play. 

Junior big man Jacob Naber led the Pioneers offensive attack, registering a double-double of 24 points and 11 assists in 29 minutes of play. Senior sniper Erik Victorson played a crucial role in keeping the Pioneers in striking distance, scoring 18 points and going 6-12 from beyond the arc. Senior guard Kobe Simpson scored 10 points and corralled five boards to round out double-figure scoring for Carroll. 

The game was a physical, back-and-forth affair from the jump, as neither team separated by more than five points through 13 minutes of play. Carroll used a 12-4 at the end of the first half to gain a four-point lead late, which the Warhawks narrowed to two in the last minute, sending the two teams into the locker room with a score of 35-33 in the Pioneers' favor.  

A 22-12 spark to start the second half helped the Warhawks take an eight-point lead midway through the period. Carroll went on a quick four-point spurt to keep within two possessions. Carroll made it a three-point game with 27 seconds to play after Kobe sank a pair of free throws, but three made free throws by Whitewater allowed the Warhawks to close the game out. 

Carroll returns to action with a long road trip to Greenville, IL to face the Panther system. The run-and-gun game was a 131-113 final in the Pioneers' favor last season. Tip-off will be at 5 p.m. on Friday, November 15.