The Carthage College women's basketball team (9-3, 1-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 26th in the Dec. 18 Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division III poll, opened its CCIW-schedule on Wednesday, Jan. 2 with a convincing, 83-57 win over Millikin University (5-6, 0-1 CCIW) at the Griswold Physical Education Center in Decatur, Ill.
As they have done with some frequency of late, the Lady Reds jumped out to an early and substantial lead. Carthage went up, 13-2, at 13:51 on a three-pointer by Stephanie Kuzmanic. Haley Stercic, with a three-pointers and a jumper, scored five of Carthage's first 10 points. Three-straight three-pointers by Stercic at 10:01, 8:32 and 8:04 gave the Lady Reds an 18-point lead, 24-6. Cailee Corcoran scored on a layup at 7:12 to make it a 20-point game, 26-6. Carthage led by as much 24 points, 36-12, at 2:56 and 38-14 at 1:03. The Lady Reds led by 18 at halftime, 38-20.
The Big Blue completed a 20-7 run over the final minute of the first period and the first three minutes of the second to pull to within 11 points, 45-34, at 17:27. Carthage's lead went back to 20 points, 70-50, at 7:49, and the Lady Red extended that to 26 points, 78-52, at 5:58. Carthage went on to win by that 26-point margin, 83-57.
Carthage shot 55 percent (30-55), including 11-of-20 three-pointers, while Millikin shot just 36 percent (20-55), including five-of-15 from three-point range. The Big Blue shot just 26 percent (8-31) in the first half. Carthage enjoyed a whopping, 40-20 rebounding advantage.
Four Carthage players scored in double figures. Cailee Corcoran (Sr., Oak Lawn Ill./Chicago-Marist) scored a game-high 18 points on eight-of-15 field goals, along with two-of-three free throws and a career-high 13 rebounds. Corcoran's 18 points gave her 1,000 career points at Carthage and made her the 20th Lady Reds player to reach that plateau.
Haley Stercic (Jr., Chicago, Ill..Marist), with 14 first-half points on four-of-six three pointers, wound up with 17 points on six-of-nine shooting, including five-of-seven three-pointers, along with three steals. Stephanie Kuzmanic (Jr., Mount Prospect, Ill./Wheeling) had 16 points, seven rebounds, four steals, and she matched her career high of eight assists. Kristi Schmidt (Jr., Bloomington, Ill./Normal-Community) added 10 points and four boards. Alyssa Saklak topped the big Blue with 16 points.
Carthage plays host to CCIW-opponent Augustana College (Ill., 4-7, 0-1 CCIW) on Saturday, Jan. 5 in a 5 p.m. game at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.