ELMHURST, Ill. - With just under two minutes remaining in the third quarter of Saturday's game at Elmhurst University, Carroll Junior Forward Natalie Gricius drained a 3-pointer for the Pioneers to surpass the 1,000 career point mark. A native of Oconomowoc, Wis., Gricius becomes just the 18th player in program history to reach that milestone. She finished with a career-high 37 points in the overtime loss to Elmhurst, giving her 1,016 career points, which currently ranks 16th in program history.

A First Team All-Conference and Second Team All-Region performer last season, and named USBWA Division-III National Player of the week earlier this season, Gricius is in her third season with the Pioneers. After scoring 440 points last year, Gricius has scored a career-best 448 points this season, ranking second in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) in scoring with 17.9 points per game. She has averaged 13 points per game in 78 career games for the Pioneers.

Gricius and the Pioneers are currently 17-8 (12-4 CCIW), as they prepare for next week's CCIW Tournament as the league's number two seed. After earning a bye in the CCIW Quarterfinals, the Pios will play their CCIW Semifinal game Friday at Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill.