WAUKESHA, Wis. - The Carroll University men's basketball team hung on to defeat Augustana in overtime Saturday aftternoon on Senior Day, clinching a spot in the CCIW Tournament for the first time since the 2016-17 season. The highly-contested battle saw two ties and four lead changes. Carroll (14-11, 7-9 CCIW) shot just over 48 percent from the field on the night, struggling from 3-point range, shooting under 28 percent, but the Pioneers converted 22 critical free throws. Senior Justin Steinike was the leading scorer for the Carroll, posting a 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.

The Pioneers forced 11 turnovers and finished with 13 assists on the night. They also had a very balanced scoring attack, with 10 players contributing at least one point. In addition to Steinike, sophomore Lamar Smith finished with 14 points.

The Pioneers rolled out the five seniors Steinike, Tyler Miller, Paradisio Dante, Josh Hudgens, and Michael Huene to start the game, and the group set the tone for the rest of the contest. Dante collected all six of his points in the first four possessions, scoring on a layup each time. Hudgens added a jumper, and the senior group gained an early 8-2 advantage just five minutes into the game. The Carroll rotation then checked in and continued the hot start, taking a 20-7 lead, which forced an Augustana timeout. The Pioneers continued that momentum, showing they were not going to be denied from the postseason. Carroll held a double-digit lead throughout the rest of the half, shooting nearly 52 percent from the field. With two-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, an offensive rebound and putback layup by Smith gave Carroll their largest lead of the game at 17. Augustana rattled off a quick 9-2 run to cut that lead to 10, but a Steinike halfcourt heave at the buzzer banked in and the Pios had everything rolling going into the locker room up by 13 points.

With the same postseason implications at stake for Augustana, they were not going down without a fight. The Pioneers kept any Vikings run at bay for the first five minutes of the half, with Miller, Steinike, junior Eckahelo Simpson, and sophomore Evan Bland contributing nine Carroll points and holding the double-digit lead at 14. An 8-0 run from Augustana over the next three minutes saw Carroll with the lead in the single digits for the first time since 14 minutes remained in the first half. Both teams buckled in for a dogfight the rest of the way. Sophomore Jacob Naber collected a layup to push the lead to eight, but another 9-0 Viking run gave Augustana their first lead of the game with nine-and-a-half minutes left in regulation. Carroll quickly responded with a layup from Naber and a 3-pointer by junior Erik Victorson to give Carroll a four-point advantage. Victorson sank two more free throws and Augustana hit a three of their own to keep it a one-possession game. In a game where threes were not falling, Tyler Miller knocked down a tough triple at the top of the key to build a five-point lead with just over seven minutes left. Both teams went cold from there, scoring 15 total points and neither team could convert their final possession, sending the game to overtime. 
 
In that extra frame, Steinike started the scoring with a triple in the corner off a kick-out from Eckahelo to give the Pios the early edge. Miller hit two more free throws and pushed the lead to five. Just when the Pios were starting to feel the victory, an Augustana and-one layup brought the game back within one possession. Smith hit two more free throws and brought the lead back to five with two minutes to play. Turnovers and missed free throws on both ends saw a score of 74-73 in Carroll's favor with 44 seconds left. Split free throws from Kobe Simpson, Victorson, and Steinike gave the Pios a 76-73 lead with five seconds remaining. After Steinike missed the backend of the free throw, Augustana looked to push the ball for one final shot, but on Senior Day, Miller had a different idea, deflecting the ball to force a Viking turnover with less than one second on the clock, sealing the victory for Carroll.

With the victory, Carroll clinches the five-seed in the CCIW Tournament. They will travel to Naperville, Ill. on Tuesday where they'll play North Central (IL) in the CCIW Quarterfinals at 7:15 p.m.