KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carroll University women's basketball team held on late in the fourth quarter for their third consecutive win as they took down the Carthage Firebirds on the road, 70-67. Olivia Rangel dropped 20 points on 6-9 shooting, with five assists and two steals. Brooke Foster knocked down five three-pointers to score 15.
 
The Pioneers (8-5, 3-1 CCIW) shot 47.3% from the floor and knocked down 8-20 three-point jump shots. Carroll overcame a tough second quarter, where they only scored seven points on 2-16 shooting. The Pios led Carthage in points off of turnovers, by forcing 18 turnovers on 11 steals. Carroll also generated eight fast-break points, seven second-chance points, and 19 points from the bench, led by Natalie Gricius with nine. The Pios never trailed and led by as much as 15 points in the third quarter.
 
The Pioneers began the game with a quick lead that reached five after Rangel laid in a fast-break basket off a turnover. Rangel followed that up with a three-pointer as Carroll began on a 12-4 run in the opening minutes. Gricius gave Carroll its largest lead of the first half after her layup from a Kate Christian pass pushed Carroll up 14. Carthage started the second quarter down 12 points, and quickly closed the gap to six in the opening two minutes. Gricius scored the first Pioneer field goal in the second quarter with 1:13 left in the half as Carroll's lead fell down to one. Foster added some separation at the end of the first half with a three-pointer as time expired, taking a 28-23 lead into halftime.
 
Christian started the second half with a floater outside the paint, kicking off a 9-0 Carroll run. Gricius was again responsible for getting Carroll to a 45-30 lead with 3:42 left in the third quarter. The Firebirds tried to cut into the lead but Rangel's layup kept Carroll up 50-35 with 1:17 left. Carroll entered the fourth up 11 points on Carthage, but Foster and Evans responded to Carthage's attempts with three jumpers from behind the arc to re-take a 14-point lead. Carroll was up 12 points with 3:20 remaining in the fourth as Carthage started an 8-0 run that was kicked off by a three-point play. After two Carroll turnovers in the final minutes, Carthage had to resort to the foul game in the final seconds to get to the Pios. Rangel stepped to the line and knocked down her 19^th and 20^th points to take a six-point lead with 11 seconds left. Carthage hit a three-pointer with one-second remaining, but Carroll was able to cleanly inbound the ball and held it out for the win.
 
The Pioneers will head to Augustana on Sunday, January 8 in Rock Island for their third-straight road conference game.