Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Feb. 10, 2024 - Forced to play from behind after a fast start by its opponent, the North Central College women's basketball team endured an 82-73 setback to 20th-ranked Carroll University Saturday on Senior Night at Gregory Arena.

The Pioneers scored the game's first 10 points and enjoyed 68.8 percent shooting accuracy (11 of 16) from the floor in the opening period, taking a lead they would not relinquish despite a North Central press which forced 22 turnovers and wore the visitors down to the tune of a 10 of 19 effort (52.6 percent) from the free-throw line in the second half.

Carroll owned a 30-17 lead at the end of the first quarter and owned a 44-26 advantage before the Cardinals (12-11, 7-7 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) closed the half with an 11-2 run. Elle Sutter got the rally started in earnest with a 25-foot three-pointer, a jumper in the lane and a pair of free throws. North Central scored the final two baskets of the second period on a Megan McClure layup and a buzzer-beating tip-in by Jocelyn Trotter, which sent the hosts into halftime with just a 46-38 deficit.

The Pioneers (19-4, 12-2 CCIW) countered by outscoring the home team, 13-2, to start the third period as North Central missed the mark on its first seven field-goal attempts. The Cardinals trailed, 69-54, to start the fourth quarter and yielded a three-point play to start the final stanza before getting a layup from Trotter, a baseline jumper by McClure and an inside basket by Grace Kieffer to narrow the gap to 72-60 with eight minutes left.

North Central whittled the lead down to single digits late in the game as a layup by Sutter, a three-point play by Biz Daly and a baseline jump shot by Trotter left the score at 79-71 with 3:02 to play. A jumper by Kieffer left the hosts with just an 80-73 deficit with 1:22 to play, but the Pioneers were able to maintain possession and deny the Cardinals any further progress.

Sutter finished with game-high totals of 21 points and six steals, while McClure put up 15 points and Trotter totaled 13 points and eight rebounds. Jovanna Martinucci contributed a game-best eight assists along with seven rebounds and four steals.

The Cardinals travel to face Millikin University (19-4, 11-3) Wednesday. The Big Blue are currently ranked No. 14 by D3hoops.com and No. 21 by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA). Tipoff at the Griswold Center is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. Click HERE for the full 2023-2024 schedule and live coverage options.

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