The Carthage College women's basketball team (16-2, 7-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin), ranked 12th in the Jan. 21 D3hoops.com poll and 11th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today NCAA Division III poll, moved into sole possession of first place in the CCIW on Saturday, Jan. 25 with a hard-fought, 90-83 win over Illinois Wesleyan University (12-6, 6-1) at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.  For the Lady Reds, the win was their ninth in a row since losing to Coe College on Dec. 17.

Illinois Wesleyan took an early, 11-point lead, 19-8, at 14:13.  After Carthage whittled the margin down to a pair, 19-17, at 9:48, the Titans took off on a 23-9 run to open up a 16-point lead, 42-26, at 3:18.  The Lady Reds came right back to score the last 13 points of the first half and trailed by just three at the break, 42-39.  Stephanie Kuzmanic scored eight of those 13 points on three jumpers and two free throws. 

Carthage tied the game, 45-45, at 18:04 and proceeded to take an eight-point lead, 56-48, at 14:58.  The Titans came back to tie the game, 68-68, at 6:57. Following three more ties and two lead changes, the Lady Reds took the lead, for good, 79-77, at 2:50 on a layup by Alexis Hahn. Carthage went on to win by seven points, 90-83.

The Lady Reds shot 52 percent (33-64), including five-of-15 from three-point range, while the Titans 43 percent (31-72), including nine-of-22 three-pointers.  Carthage had a 43-33 rebounding edge over the Illinois Wesleyan.  The Lady Reds got to the free-throw line 24 times and made 19, while the Titans connected on 12-of-14 free throws.

Carthage's Stephanie Kuzmanic (Sr., Mount Prospect, Ill./Wheeling) scored a game-high 33 points on 13-of-21 field goals and 6-of-6 free throws, along with four rebounds and 10 assists.  Michelle Wenzel (Sr., Darien, Wis./Delavan-Darien) scored 28 points on 12-of-17 shooting, along with 10 rebounds.  Four Illinois Wesleyan starters scored in double figures, with Lexi Baltes leading the way with 18 points.  Katy Seibring had 16 points and seven rebounds, Colleen McMahon 15 points and six assists, and Kasey Reaber added 10 points.  Taylor Reaber scored 11 points off the bench for the Titans.

"We didn't start out too well," said Carthage coach Tim Bernero, "and some of that was because Stephanie Kuzmanic was feeling the game out.  She needs to lead, and once she did that, Illinois Wesleyan had a hard time stopping her.  It was an epic game.  One key was that we made free throws tonight, which we don't always do.  We handled the press OK in the first half, but we stopped handling the ball in the second half.  Once we got that under control and made some free throws, that was it.  They left Michelle Wenzel alone early in the game, and she was able to score inside.  One time through, and we're 7-0, but I told our team tonight that everyone is going to be coming at us even harder in the second half."

Carthage travels to Naperville, Ill., on Saturday, Feb. 1 to play CCIW opponent North Central College in a 5 p.m. game at Gregory Arena at Merner Fieldhouse.