WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University men's basketball team couldn't keep up with the no. 8 team in the country on Wednesday night in Van Male Field House. Carroll fell to the Wheaton Thunder 57-81. Ryan Mendoza led the Pioneer squad with 15 points and seven rebounds.
 
The Pioneers (3-5, 0-2 CCIW) fall to .500 inside Van Male Field House for the season. Despite being down 15 points at halftime, the Pioneers shot 51.9% on 14-27 shooting. Carroll finished the second half a much cooler 33.3%, rounding out to 41.7% for the game. The disciplined Thunder only fouled 15 times in the contest, and only gave Carroll seven free throw opportunities. Carroll collected 24 points from their bench, led by Aaron Wafford's seven.
 
Carroll kept the matchup tightly contested through the first three minutes and was down by just five points after Mendoza pulled up inside the paint and knocked down a jumper with 12:33 remaining.  Wheaton took their first double-digit lead of the night with 8:33 remaining, but Josh Hudgens responded with a step-back jump shot inside the paint to make it a 20-29 ballgame. The Thunder finished with a 16-10 run over the remaining eight minutes of the first half to take a 15-point lead into the break.
 
Wheaton came out of the locker room and jumped into a 19-6 run through the first seven minutes, but their run was halted by Justin Steinike's fast-break layup with 12:30 remaining. Gio Carrillo knocked down an elbow three-point basket to cut the lead to 25 points with 9:29 remaining, but Wheaton scored five straight in the next minute to take a 30-point lead. Paul Combs shortly went to the bench to finish the contest.
 
Carroll will stay at home this weekend and host Millikin on Saturday, December 11 at 4 PM, or 30 minutes after the women's basketball game prior.