WAUKESHA, Wis. – Carroll University secured the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin regular-season championship with a hard-fought 68–65 victory over Carthage on Saturday afternoon at the Van Male Fieldhouse.

The Pioneers (21-4, 15-1 CCIW) held off a late push from the Firebirds to claim the outright conference title, winning their 15th league game of the season in front of a crowd of 756.

Carroll led for most of the afternoon but faced constant pressure in a tightly contested matchup that featured six lead changes. The Pioneers took a 35–30 advantage into halftime after shooting 48.3 percent in the opening half and scoring 24 points in the paint.

Carroll built its largest lead of the game midway through the third quarter, using a 12–3 run to go up 43–30. The Firebirds responded to cut the deficit to eight entering the fourth, then rallied again late, trimming the margin to three points in the final seconds.

Natalie Gricius led Carroll with a game-high 27 points, including clutch free throws in the final moments. Emilie Wizner added 14 points, while Malia Green scored 24 points to pace Carthage.

Katie Barger finished with eight points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Ryann Wendt contributed eight points and five rebounds. Carroll held a significant advantage in the paint, outscoring Carthage 42–14 inside, and also finished with a 15–3 edge in fast-break points.

Despite Carthage shooting 40 percent from three-point range, Carroll's interior scoring and ability to convert late free throws proved decisive.

With the win, Carroll clinched the CCIW regular-season championship outright, marking a milestone season for the Pioneers as they head into postseason play with momentum as they will host the CCIW tournament, with their first game coming Friday at 7pm in the semifinals.