The Carthage College women's basketball team (13-2, 4-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin), ranked 14th in the Jan. 14 D3hoops.com poll and 14th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today NCAA Division III poll, knocked off No. 12 Wheaton College (12-2, 3-1 CCIW), 77-69, on Wednesday, Jan. 15 at King Arena in Wheaton, Wis. With the win, Carthage is in a first-place tie in the CCIW with Illinois Wesleyan University (10-5, 4-0).

Carthage scored the first 10 points of the game.  Wheaton pulled to within one, 14-13, at 10:51 and tied the game, 21-21, at 7:42.  The game was tied again, 24-24, at 7:13, but the Lady Reds closed out the half on a 16-8 run to pull out to an eight-point lead, 40-32.  Carthage took a nine-point lead, 43-34, at the start of the second period, but a 10-1 Wheaton run tied the game, 44-44, at 14:32.  Following two more ties, the last one at 52-52, at 8:38, the Lady Reds went up, to stay, 55-52, at 8:21 on a three-pointer by Stephanie Kuzmanic.  Two three-pointers by Haley Stercic, sandwiched around a pair of jumpers by Kuzmanic, gave Carthage a nine-point lead, 65-56, at 4:56.  The Lady Reds opened up an 11-point lead, 70-59, at 2:26.  Wheaton got as close as four points, 71-67, at 1:01, but Carthage went on to win by eight points, 77-69.  The Thunder never led in the game, although there were five ties.

Carthage shot 48 percent (27-56), including 12-of-21 from three-point range, while Wheaton shot 43 percent (24-56), including four-of-14 three-pointers.  The rebounds were even at 33 each.  The Lady Reds were 11-of-20 from the free-throw line, while the Thunder converted 17-of-21.

Carthage's Stephanie Kuzmanic (Sr., Mount Prospect, Ill./Wheeling) scored a career-high 34 points, 21 of those in the second half, on 11-of-17 field goals, including six-of-nine three-pointers and six-of-seven free throws, along with eight rebounds and eight assists.  Haley Stercic (Sr., Chicago, Ill./Marist) was the only other Lady Reds player in double figures with 15 points on five-of-seven three-pointers.  Michelle Wenzel (Sr., Darien, Wis./Delavan-Darien) had nine points and eight boards.  Ellie Zeller topped Wheaton with 21 points, and Katie McDaniels added 13 points.

"Stephanie Kuzmanic turned in a big-time performance in a high-level game," said Carthage coach Tim Bernero. "Haley Stercic hit some huge shots in both halves to put us in position to win.  We went on the road and led wire to wire and withstood some runs from an excellent team. Contributions from everyone were solid and needed."

Carthage travels to Decatur, Ill., on Saturday, Jan. 18 to take on conference-opponent Millikin University (6-9, 0-4 CCIW) in a 5 p.m. contest at the Griswold Center.