WAUKESHA, Wis. - When Head Coach Lindsay Schultz arrived at Carroll in 2016, the Pioneers proceeded to win one game during that 2016-17 season. Eight years later, the 19th-ranked Carroll University women's basketball team are CCIW Champions, claiming their first-ever conference championship in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin with a 72-46 win Saturday against Augustana (IL). That also marks the Pioneers' first conference title since winning the Midwest Conference in 2006.

Carroll (21-4, 14-2 CCIW) never trailed on Saturday, winning their seventh consecutive game and 16th of their last 17 to end the regular season, as their 21 wins are tied for the second-most in program history, just one shy of the program's single season record. The Pioneers shot 48 percent (28-58) in the game, including 43 percent (6-14) from 3-point range, while Augustana (11-13, 7-9 CCIW) converted just 35 percent (17-49) from the field and 7 percent (1-15) from downtown. The Pios were tenacious on the defensive end of the court all night, scoring 36 points off 27 Augustana turnovers.

Augustana hung around for one quarter of play, with Carroll leading by six or fewer for the entirety of the opening period. The Pios then scored the first seven points of the second quarter to open a 15-point advantage, which would remain a double-digit lead for the remainder of the contest.

Leading by 18 at halftime, the Pioneers turned up the heat in the second half, ending the third quarter on a 14-2 run to take a 31-point lead into the fourth quarter. They would coast to victory in that final frame to become co-champions of the CCIW, earning the number two seed in next week's CCIW Tournament.

Olivia Rangel led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-17 shooting, while Ryann Wendt and Chloe Hlaverson gave the team a boost off the bench with 13 and 12 points, respectively, as that duo combined to shoot 50 percent (10-for-20) from the field. Emilie Wizner added 11 points as she added to her second-best 3-point percentage in Division-III, making all three of her 3-point attempts.

Augustana was led by Corey Whitlock's 15 points, while Cali Papez added 10 and nine rebounds. Mariola Tesoro also chipped in with nine points and four boards.

Carroll will receive a bye in Tuesday's CCIW quarterfinals, before facing the highest remaining seed in the CCIW semifinals Thursday at 5 p.m. That game will take place at Shirk Center in Bloomington, Ill., which will also be the site of Saturday's CCIW Tournament Championship game, with the winner receiving an automatic berth to the 2024 NCAA Division-III Tournament.