WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team got into their grove in the second quarter to push aside Benedictine by a score of 88-39. Olivia Rangel had a team-high 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
The Pioneers (2-2) had a tough time getting the ball to land in the basket in the first quarter, but came into their own in the second, scoring 31 points on 15-23 shooting, while forcing 23 turnovers and coming away with 13 steals. Rangel and Allison Thompson tied for the team-high of three steals. The Pio bench gave Carroll 50 points, headed by Lauren Soyke's and Emilie Wizner's eight. Carroll was efficient behind the arc, making 5-12 three-pointers for 41.7%.
 
Natalie Palzkill started the game with six free throw attempts and went 5-6 in that period to keep the game even at 5-5. Kate Christian knocked in one free throw to push Carroll to a five-point lead midway through the first quarter, but the Eagles cut it to one in the final two minutes of the quarter. Katie Evans opened the second quarter with a fast break layup off a steal from Christian, which led to a 31-6 run for the Pioneers. Soyke fresh off the bench gave Carroll the 20-point lead, and Brooke Foster scored back-to-back layups to bring the halftime lead to 26 points.
 
Carroll continued to dominate to open the second half, going up 29 points early on thanks to free throws from Christian and a basket by Thompson. Chloe Halverson gave Carroll the first 30-point lead of the night midway through the third on free throws. Benedictine cut into the lead with a 15-point third quarter but the Pioneers dropped 21 to hold their advantage. Carroll held the Eagles to just four points in the fourth quarter as the bench scored 21 points led by Megan Madsen and Katie Rohner scoring five each.
 
The Pioneers will face a third WIAC team in a little over a week on Saturday, November 19, when they travel to UW-La Crosse. Carroll hasn't faced La Crosse since 2019.