The Carthage women's basketball team (11-8, 4-4 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) lost its fourth-straight game on Wednesday, Jan. 28 with a 63-60 overtime loss to CCIW-opponent North Park University (11-8, 3-5 CCIW) at the North Park Gymnasium in Chicago. 

 North Central College (18-1, 17-2 CCIW) and Wheaton College (Ill., 17-2, 7-1) and continue to share the league lead, with Carthage in a three-way tie for third place with both Millikin University (13-6, 4-4) and Elmhurst College (11-8, 4-4).  Carthage's loss to North Park ended a 15-game winning streak over the Vikings.  North Park's last win in the series was a 54-53 decision on Feb. 14, 2008, also at the North Park Gymnasium, 

There were two ties and four lead changes in the first half, and Carthage led by as much as eight points in the period, 29-21, at 1:53.  The Lady Reds led by three at the break, 29-26.  The second half saw five ties and three more lead changes.  Carthage led by as much as five points on a couple of occasions, and North Park led by eight, 51-43, at 4:06.  The Vikings were still leading by two, 52-50, when Carthage's Erin Thomas scored on a layup with six seconds remaining to tie the game, 52-52.  North Park's Rachel Torres missed a long three-pointer at the buzzer. 

The Vikings, who never trailed In overtime, took a four-point lead, 60-56, with 28 seconds to go on a layup by Torres.  The Lady Reds got it back to two points twice, including 62-60, on a Thomas layup with six seconds to play, but North Park's Liz Rehberger made the second-of-two free throws with five seconds left for the final, 63-60 margin.

The Vikings shot 46 percent (24-52), including three-of-10 three-pointers, while the Lady Reds shot 42 percent (22-53), including just three-of-19 from three-point range.  North Park got to free-throw line 26 times and made 12, while the Lady Reds connected on 13-of-17.  North Park had a narrow, 35-33 rebounding advantage. 

Liz Rehberger led the Vikings with a game-high 22 points on seven-of-12 field goals, including two-of-five three-pointers, along with six-of-eight free throws.  Amani Davis added 11 points for North Park.  Erin Quinn (Sr., Island Lake, Ill./Mundelein-Carmel Catholic) led Carthage with a career-high 21 points on five-of-eight shooting, along with 10-of-11 free throws, six rebounds and six assists.  Erin Thomas (Jr., Spring Grove, Ill./Richmond-Burton) had 13 points, and Alexis Hahn (Jr., Itasca, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) added 10 points and five boards.

Carthage plays host to conference-opponent Illinois Wesleyan University (8-11, 2-6 CCIW) on Saturday, Jan. 31 in a 5 p.m. contest at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.