WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University men's basketball team scored 48 points in the second half, but it wasn't enough to outlast North Central College on Wednesday night in Van Male Field House. The Pioneers fell to the Cardinals 81-89 in the final minutes of the game. Justin Gruber hit 4-9 shots from behind the arc to lead the team with a season-high 17 points while Justin Steinike made four three-pointers as well to score 14.
 
The Pioneers 5-12 (1-7 CCIW) haven't won in Waukesha since November 19 against Crown College. Carroll came alive in the second half, shooting 10-18 from three, and shot 56.3% altogether. 17 rebounds was all Carroll was able to muster but collected 7 steals leading to 21 points off turnovers. Tyler Miller (9 PTS, 3-3 3PM) was perfect in his 22 minutes off the bench to lead the group in scoring.  Pioneers faced foul trouble in the second half, however, to give the Cardinals 22 attempts at the free-throw line.
 
Carroll took its first lead of the game when Gruber pulled up from the top of the arc three minutes into the contest to take a 6-5 lead. Gruber went on to score Carroll's first nine points as Carroll led by as much as four points. North Central regained the lead but a shifty Aaron Wafford (10 PTS, 5-6 FGM) nailed a step-back mid-range jumper to give the Pios the advantage. A 13-4 run by the Cardinals with 8:31 remaining forced a full timeout from the Pioneers, but the Cardinals were able to soon lead by 11 and carried that lead into halftime.
 
A quick five points from the Pioneers and a few defensive stops cut the lead to six two minutes into the final period. North Central rebuilt their lead to double digits, but the Pioneers were hot on their tails knocking down 6-9 from three in the first 13 minutes of the second half. Steinike nailed three straight threes to tie the contest with 6:31 left in the game. The Cardinals spread out a seven-point run, but a Josh Hudgens (13 PTS, 6-14 FGM) three re-tied the game with 3:11 to play. North Central finished the final stretch on an 8-0 run, fueled by 6-6 shooting at the free-throw line. The Pioneers went cold and missed four three-pointers in the final two minutes.
 
Carroll rematches with the Titans of Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday, January 22 in Waukesha. Last time out, the then #2 team in the nation defeated Carroll 63-44 in Bloomington, Ill. Trenton Nickel led with 16 points in that contest.