Nothing about it was easy, but the Carthage College women's basketball team won its semifinal game at the CCIW Women's Basketball Tournament, 91-81, over North Central College (13-13).  The Lady Reds are playing host to the tournament at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.

In the first semifinal contest, Wheaton College (Ill., 22-4) edged Illinois Wesleyan University (18-8), 62-59.  The Thunder's Brooke Olson scored a game-high 23 points on seven-of-19 field goals, including seven-of-16 three pointers, along with eight rebounds.  Carthage will take on Wheaton (Ill.) in the Saturday, Feb. 23 title game, beginning at 7 p.m.

North Central led most of the first half.  The Cardinals took a seven-point lead, 30-23, at 7:54 and upped that 10 points, 40-30, at 1:41.  Carthage closed to within six points at halftime, 40-34.  The Lady Reds took ma 45-43 lead at 17:12 second half, but the game went back-and-forth for the next 11 minutes, with five ties and five lead changes.  Following a 70-70 tie at 6:11, the Lady Reds took the lead, to stay, 71-70, at 5:47 on a free throw by Erin Quinn.  Carthage pulled away from there, taking a nine-point lead, 84-75, at 1:23 and going onto win by 10 points, 91-81.

Carthage shot 51 percent (31-61) and converted 26-of-37 free throws.  North Central shot 40 percent (27-68), including 11-of-32 three-pointers, and the Cardinals made 16-of-27 free throws.  Carthage out-rebounded North Central by a 47-34 margin.  Four Carthage players scored in double figures.  Cailee Corcoran (Sr., Oak Lawn, Ill./Chicago-Marist) led the way with a game-high and career-high 30 points on 12-of-19 field goals, along with six-of-eight free throws and a game-high 10 rebounds.  Alexis Hahn (Fr., Itasca, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) was the key contributor with 20 points off the bench, 18 of those in the second half.  Hahn connected on 10-of-12 field goals, mostly layups, and added seven rebounds.  Stephanie Kuzmanic (Jr., Mount Prospect, Ill./Wheeling) scored 11 five rebounds with six assists, and Haley Stercic (Jr., Chicago, Ill./Marist) also had 11 points with five rebounds.  Larynn Shumaker led the Cardinals with 20 points on seven-of-12 shooting, along with six-of-six free throws.

"North Central's style of play is obviously not one that we match up to very well," said Carthage coach Tim Bernero.  "We're not a team that attacks people off the dribble.  You can't play chess against them, and it's chaotic.  You have to make good decisions about when to shoot and when to pass.  They want you to get tired and stop doing the fundamental things right.  We were really bad, defensively, in the first half.  We had no control of their three-point game, and we fouled them out of trouble.  Alexis Hahn may be an All-CCIW player someday, but she would be, right now, if she could play North Central every night.  Their style fits her just fine.  Now, we get a team in Wheaton that's a bit more our style, and I'm really glad we're playing at 7 p.m., instead of tomorrow afternoon.  We could use the rest."