The Carthage College women's basketball team (13-3, 5-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 31st in the Jan. 15 Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division III poll and 33rd in the Jan. 15 "D3hoops.com" poll, remains perfect in the CCIW at 5-0 following a 63-33 win over conference-opponent Elmhurst College (8-8, 2-3 CCIW) on Wednesday, Jan. 16 at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.
The first half was all Carthage, as the Lady Reds scored early and often. Carthage opened up a 16-point lead, 20-4, at 10:10 and led by 21 points, 27-6, at 7:47. The lead went to 30 points, 36-6, at 4:07, and the Lady Reds led by 34 at halftime, 42-8. The Bluejays connected on just two-of-18 field goals in the first period, while Carthage connected on 17-30. Elmhurst opened the second half with a 13-2 run to cut the lead to 23 points, 44-21, but Carthage went back up by 30, 52-22, at 9:27 and went on to win by that margin, 63-33.
Carthage shot 46 percent (25-55), including six-of-15 three pointers, while Elmhurst shot just 28 percent (12-43) and connected on just one-of-nine from three-point range. Carthage had a 36-30 rebounding advantage. Three Carthage players scored in double figures. Stephanie Kuzmanic (Jr., Mount Prospect, Ill./Wheeling) led the way with 14 points on six-of-nine field goals, including two-of-two three-pointers, along with six rebounds and five assists. Michelle Wenzel (Jr., Darien, Wis./Delevan-Darien) came off the bench to score 14 points on six-of-10 shooting and eight rebounds. Cailee Corcoran (Sr., Oak Lawn Ill./Chicago-Marist) added 10 points, five rebounds and four steals. Mel Schwerdtmann came off the Bluejay bench to score a team-high nine points with seven boards.
"It feels good when you do the right stuff," said Carthage coach Tim Bernero. "We gave our team a couple of things to focus on, and we did a great job. We were pretty efficient in the first half. I wasn't crazy about how we played in the second half, and that's a maturity issue. You have to respect the game and play it all the way through. Elmhurst got shots in the second half that they couldn't get in the first half, and that's' because we broke down. Stephanie Kuzmanic has been fantastic for the last month or so, and she's playing as well as anyone in the league right now. We're riding her a little, and the defensive execution has really come around. Cailee Corcoran made some baskets early with the ball coming over the top, and we obviously need her to score. The pressure is one to win Saturday against Wheaton, since the first game with them is at home. You don't want to lose that and then have to beat them on the road later. If we win on Saturday, then we have North Park next and a chance to put some distance between us and the rest of the league. We're leading now, and if we do what we're supposed to do, we're looking good."
The Lady Reds entertain conference-opponent and No. 28 Wheaton College (Ill., 13-2, 4-1 CCIW) on Saturday, Jan. 19 in a 5 p.m. contest, also at Tarble Arena.