The Carthage College women's basketball team (7-2, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) ranked 14th in the Dec. 17 in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today NCAA Division III poll and 16th in the "D3hoops.com" poll, lost to Coe College (3-5), 78-66, on Tuesday, Dec. 17 at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.  The Lady Reds entered the contest having won seven games in a row following a season-opening loss to Ohio Northern University.

Coe opened up an early eight-point lead, 12-4, at 12:58.  Carthage pulled to within two, 14-12, at 9:19, before Coe went back up by 10 points, 26-16, at 5:13.  The Kohawks led by nine points at the break, 33-24, and led by 11 right after the break, 35-24.  The Lady Reds used a 13-0 run to take their first lead of the game, 37-35, at 16:13.  The game was tied, 41-41, at 13:05 before a three-pointer by Coe's Logan Lynch at 12:28 put the Kohawks up to stay, 44-41, at 12:28.  Coe built a 10-point lead midway through the second period, 55-45, at 8:25.  The Lady Reds pulled to within four points twice, the latter at 62-58 with 3:58 to play, but Coe pulled away, mostly at the free-throw line, to win by 12 points, 78-66.

The Kohawks got to the free-throw line 32 times and made 30 for an astonishing 93.8 percent mark, a Carthage opponent record by percentage.  Coe made its first 20 free throws before missing one in the second period.  From the floor, the Kohawks shot 47 percent (22-47), including four-of-11 from three-point range.  Carthage shot just 39 percent (28-71), including six-of-17 from three-point range.  The Lady Reds got to the free-throw line just 10 times and made four.  Coe out-rebounded Carthage, 42-31.

Mackenzie Reed led the Kohawks with a game-high 23 points on seven-of-nine field goals and nine-of-nine free throws, while Mary Halvorson scored 21 points on seven-of-16 shooting and seven-of-seven from the free-throw line, along with nine rebounds.  Haley Stercic (Sr., Chicago, Ill./Marist) led Carthage with 17 points on five-of-eight three-pointers.  Michelle Wenzel (Sr., Darien, Wis./Delavan-Darien) had 12 points and five rebounds, Alexis Hahn (So., Itasca, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) 11 points and eight boards, and Taylor Boardman (So., Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) added 10 points.

Carthage travels to Las Vegas on Saturday-Sunday, Dec. 28-29 to play in the "D3hoops.com Classic" at the South Point Hotel Casino Arena.  The Lady Reds take on Carroll University (Wis.) on Saturday, Dec. 28 at Noon, PST, followed by a Sunday, Dec. 29 contest versus No. 8 Wisconsin-Whitewater, also at Noon, PST.