WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll men's basketball hosted their second straight CCIW home game on Wednesday night, knocking off Elmhurst for the third time in the last four contests by a score of 84-77. Carroll set a school record for 3-point attempts in a game with 45, and was two makes shy of setting the school record for made three-pointers in a game. There were three ties and one lead change, as Carroll held the lead for all but 3 minutes and 26 seconds in the contest, never trailing after the 15-minute mark in the first half.
Carroll (6-9, 2-4 CCIW) shot over 41 percent from the field and just under 35 percent from beyond the arc. Carroll also outrebounded Elmhurst (6-9, 2-4 CCIW), corralling 40 boards to Elmhurst's 36, and doubled the Bluejays' efforts on the offensive glass, tallying 20 offensive rebounds to Elmhurst's 10. The Bluejays were a touch under 52 percent from the field and shot an even 40 percent from deep.
The game's leading scorer was Elmhurst graduate senior Tagen Pearson, who scored 24 points on 8-for-19 shooting in over 36 minutes of play. Carroll had five players score in double figures, led by senior Kobe Simpson, who tallied 19 points and seven rebounds (four offensive) in 23 minutes. Joining Simpson in double-figures were Jacob Naber with 13 points and eight rebounds (five offensive), and Eckahelo Simpson, Erik Victorson, and Evan Bland, who all contributed 12 points apiece.
The game started as a back-and forth battle, as the two teams went blow-for-blow through the first five minutes of play. A midrange jumper from Eckahelo gave the Pioneers a 13-12 lead, a lead which would not be seceded the rest of the night. From there, Carroll went on a 21-8 run over the next seven minutes to give the Pios their largest lead of the game. Aaron Wafford and Bland combined for 12 of the 21 points in the scoring spurt. Elmhurst responded with a run of their own, outscoring Carroll 18-9 to close the half and remain in striking distance, as the two teams went into the break with a 43-38 Pioneer advantage.
Carroll scored five points in the first minute of the second half, pushing their lead to 10 with a logo three from Wafford. Elmhurst hung around once again, responding with a 15-8 run to pull within three points just when it looked to be Carroll's game for the taking. Carroll made six threes down the stretch to suffocate any hopes of an Elmhurst comeback, closing the game out with an 84-77 triumph.
Carroll rides their momentum into preparation for Saturday, January 18, when they travel to Rock Island, Ill. To take on Augustana College in a CCIW bout. Tip-off from the Roy J Carver Center will be at 4:15 p.m.
