WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team dropped 43 points in the second half to pull away and defeat the North Central Cardinals 75-42. Carroll moved to 6-2 at home thanks to Olivia Rangel, who finished with a season-high 16 points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Elizabeth Behrndt secured a 14-point, 12 rebound double-double as Carroll collected 58 rebounds.
 
The Pioneers (14-5, 6-5 CCIW) shot over 48% in the second half to score 43 points. The Pioneers dominated the paint, scoring 54 of their 75 total points near the restricted area. The Pio bench led by seven points and nine rebounds from Chloe Halverson outscored the Cardinal bench 21-6. Carroll forced 23 North Central turnovers, despite turning the ball over 26 themselves. 14 Carroll steals helped give Carroll a 26-15 advantage in scoring off turnovers. The Pioneers never trailed in this one and led for all but the first 15 seconds.
 
Carroll scored on its first possession 15 seconds after winning the tip and jumped out to an 8-2 run over the next three minutes. Rangel scored six-straight points on dribble-drives into the paint in less than a minute to give Carroll an eight-point advantage at the media timeout. A Brooke Foster (5 PTS, 7 REB) and-one three-point play gave Carroll its first double-digit lead of the game with 2:44 left in the first quarter. After cutting the lead to 10, the Cardinals trailed the Pios 20-10 after the first buzzer. After a three-pointer with 7:30 on the clock, North Central was able to cut the lead down to three with a 9-2 run. Three more Carroll layups over the next five possession worked the Pio lead back up to nine, with 2:11 to go, and Carroll went into the locker room up 32-25.
 
The Cardinals scored five quick points early in the second half but Carroll's second-chance points and steals to fast-break layups brought their lead back up to 10. After the media timeout, Rangel scored four points off free throws and a turnover to put Carroll up 15 with 4:25 left in the third. Katie Evans (7 PTS, 4 STL) knocked down her first three of the game from the corner to give her all of her points in that third period. A Kate Christian (11 PTS) free throw put Carroll up 53-37 with 10 to play.
 
Christian's and-one layup put the Pios up 20 points in the fourth quarter, as they began to pour it on the Cardinals. Carroll finished the game on a 22-5 in the fourth and led by 30 with 1:37 left in regulation.
 
The Pios get a Wednesday bye as they prepare for Millikin on Saturday, Feb. 5 down in Decatur. Carroll's loss to the Big Blue earlier this season came at home in the fashion of 56-72.