LEXINGTON, Ky. – Carroll shot nearly 60 percent from the field and from three-point range Friday and held off No. 18 Transylvania 84-74 in NCAA Regional first-round action at the Beck Center.

Game 1 Box
Game 2 Box

In a game delayed over two hours by severe weather, the Pioneers (23-5) saw a storybook season come to an end at the hands of unranked Carroll (17-9), champions of the Midwest Conference tournament. Transy was an at-large pick into the tournament after winning the Heartland Conference regular season crown while Carroll was a surprising winner of the Midwest Conference tournament.

Carroll will take on Wittenberg in the regional championship game Saturday at 7 p.m. Wittenberg took a 63-56 decision over Birmingham Southern in the first game of the evening.

Transy trailed by as many as 10 points in the first half, which ended with Carroll on top, 441-32. The visitors shot nearly 60 percent in the half, including notching six of 10 from long range. Transy was at an even 50 percent, but was outscored by nine from long range.

Brandon Rash had nine points in the period while Dan Kratz led all scorers with 10.

Carroll stretched its lead to as many as 17 in the second half before the Pioneers fought back. The home team got within six on three occasions, the last at 78-72 on a Tate Cox lay-up with 1:23 left. But Carroll got four free throws from Kyle Jones and Bast to hold on for the win.

Dan Kratz and Alec Molter each scored 15 points for Carroll, which placed six players in double figures. Barrett Meyer led Transy with 18 points, 14 in the second half, while Cox added 16. HCAC Player of the Year Ethan Spurlin scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds before leaving the game after rolling an ankle.

Rash, who needed 28 points to reach 1,000 for his career, had seven in 21 minutes before fouling out. Reserve Ashley Hatfield added nine points for the Pioneers, who shot 47 percent from the field (28 of 60). Carroll was 23 of 28 from the free throw line while Transy finished at 12 of 22.

"Our guys did a lot of great things this season," said Transy coach Brian Lane. "We tied a school record for best start and had a super conference run, winning it by four games. We had a winning streak of ten in the first half of the season, and a winning streak of 11 in the second half. We were one of the highest seeds in the Midwest and we got to host.

"Later on, they'll understand the significance of how well they did, of the position they put themselves in, but that doesn't help tonight with how they feel. We really picked it up in the second half, but they're a hot team and they're on a roll. They can shoot the heck out of it."