WAUKESHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team shot 62.5% in the first half to pull away and dominate Elmhurst University 87-33 in Van Male Field House on Wednesday night. Carroll led 54-12 going into the halftime break after holding Elmhurst to just one basket the entire second quarter. Megan Madsen led the team with a career-high 15 points in 20 minutes off the bench. Allison Thompson hauled in 11 rebounds to go with her nine points.
 
The Pioneers (15-6, 7-6 CCIW) controlled the game the entire way and led for 36:40 after a sluggish first five minutes. The Pios finished shooting over 51% and made 5-21 from deep. Carroll got 20 free points at the free-throw line as well. 56 of the team's points came from the bench, led by Madsen and followed up by Brooke Foster's 10. Carroll scored 24 points on fast-break layups and put up 44 points in the paint. The Pios forced 29 turnovers, collected 17 steals, and scored 29 points off those steals and turnovers.
 
The Pioneers got off to a slow start offensively, turning the ball over three-straight possession, and didn't hit a basket until Katie Evans' fast-break layup nearly four minutes into the game. Once Carroll got going, they started an 8-0 run, forcing an Elmhurst timeout. Carroll took their first double-digit lead with 1:39 left on the clock off a Madsen layup in the paint from a Kate Christian dish. Olivia Rangel knocked down a three as time expired to put Carroll up 25-10 after the first 10 minutes. After the Bluejays scored on their opening possession of the second quarter, Carroll went berserk, scoring 29 unanswered points, forcing 13 turnovers, and coming away with six steals. Seven Pioneers scored in the second quarter, led by Natalie Palzkill with six.
 
Christian knocked down a three-point jumper from the wing to give Carroll a 45-point lead early in the second half. The Bluejays didn't go away, as they worked the deficit down to as low as 40, but a Madsen three helped push Carroll back in control, as the third-quarter buzzer rang. Kayla Stefka made back-to-back layups in the paint to put Carroll up 48 with 6:40 left to go. Madsen helped Carroll hit the magic 50 number with a jumper outside the paint and to give her 14 points.
 
The Pioneers have their final regular-season road game this Saturday in Naperville, as North Central hosts Carroll. Carroll held their own against North Central earlier this season, winning 75-42.