WAUKESHA, Wis. - Carroll's women's basketball team earned a signature win Saturday afternoon, defeating previously unbeaten Millikin 101-98 in overtime. The Big Blue entered the game atop the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), while also ranking ninth in the latest Division-III Top 25 Poll. The 101 points scored by the Pioneers is just seven points shy of the program's single game record, while also marking the first time in 37 games that the Pios topped the century mark.

Both teams shot better than 50 percent from the field in the contest, with Carroll sinking 50 percent (7-14) of their 3-pointers and 82 percent (22-27) of their free throws. The Pios' bench outscored Millikin's reserves 28-9 in a game that featured 12 ties and 14 lead changes.

The two teams were stuck in a seesaw battle from the opening tip, with Millikin taking a 21-17 lead after one quarter of play thanks to 10 points in the period by All-American Elyce Knudsen. Carroll would slowly but surely chip into that lead, cutting the deficit to a single point on a layup by Ryann Wendt in the final seconds of the half.

The Pioneers then took their first lead since the first quarter on the opening possession of the third on a jumper by Natalie Gricius. Millikin would answer with a 16-5 run to take the first double digit lead of the afternoon midway through that period. Carroll then went on an 18-8 run of their own to tie the game at 66 just before the final period began. Millikin would lead for the first six and a half minutes of the fourth quarter, until Emilie Wizner made one of her four 3-pointers to give the Pios the advantage. With Millikin again leading by three points with eight seconds left in regulation, Gricius drilled a deep 3-pointer from the corner to tie the game at 89 and send it into overtime.

In that extra frame, Millikin scored the first basket, but Gricius answered with another 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to put Carroll in front by one. Millikin would later take a three-point advantage with three minutes remaining, but the Pioneers would end the game on an 8-2 run to earn the victory, with all eight of those points being scored by Olivia Rangel, who sank all four of her free throws to seal the game down the stretch.

Rangel finished with a career-high 30 points on 11-of-16 shooting, while making all eight of her free throws, to go along with five rebounds and a game-high seven assists. Gricius added 21 points, including a trio of 3-pointers, while Wizner scored 18 on 4-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

Knudsen led Millikin with 32 points on 12-of-25 shooting, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. Bailey Coffman added 22 points, while Sophie Darden and Matayia Tellis scored 17 and 16, respectively.

Carroll will hope to carry this momentum over to their next game against non-conference foe St. Norbert College on December 20. That game will begin at 5 p.m. at Van Male Fieldhouse in Waukesha, Wis.