Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

WAUKESHA, Wis. (Feb. 11, 2025) - Defeating Carroll University for the first time since 2020, the North Central College women's basketball team shot 50% from beyond the arc while making 13-of-14 free throws down the stretch in the fourth quarter to beat the Pioneers 75-71 on Tuesday night inside Van Male Fieldhouse.

A jumper from Grace Kieffer evened the contest at 6-6 early in the opening quarter of the conference battle. Josylin Simmons-Doxie assisted on back-to-back possessions as Jocelyn Trotter and Biz Daly converted layups to give the Cardinals a 10-9 lead at the media timeout. Megan McClure and Ameli Sanchez buried three-pointers, putting North Central ahead 22-18 after 10 minutes of play.

Simmons-Doxie kept the Cardinals in front with a basket to begin the second quarter. Trotter scored in the paint to increase the North Central lead to five, 27-22. The Pioneers stormed back on a 16-5 run over the final six minutes of the first half to take a 38-32 lead into the break.

North Central responded with an 11-2 run to begin the third quarter, highlighted by back-to-back three-pointers from Kieffer and Trotter, giving the visitors a 43-40 edge. The teams traded baskets as a pair of free throws from Simmons-Doxie kept the Cardinal advantage to three, 47-44. Carroll scored six straight points to force a North Central timeout. A late third quarter basket from Daly brought the Cardinals within one entering the final 10 minutes of play.

A successful trip at the charity stripe from Daly sparked a 10-3 run for North Central, taking a 61-55 lead with 6:12 to go. The Pioneers answered with a run of their own to tie the contest at 63-63 midway through the fourth quarter. A clutch three-pointer from McClure gave the Cardinals some breathing room as part of a 7-2 run, as North Central held a 70-65 lead with 1:30 left to play. Carroll scored three quick points, but McClure and Trotter made five of six free throws to clinch a 75-71 victory over Carroll.

Trotter and Simmons-Doxie led the Cardinals with 15 points each while McClure (14 points) and Kieffer (13 points) followed closely behind. McClure went a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, a career-high. Simmons-Doxie also set a new career benchmark, making 11-of-12 free throws on the night. As a team, North Central shot 44% from the field and 5-% (6-of-12) from three-point range. The Cardinals made 21 free throws on the night, compared to 11 by the Pioneers.
Carroll was led by Natalie Gricius (25 points) and Olivia Rangel (18 points) as the Pioneers shot 41% from the field and 65% from the charity stripe. North Central improves to 10-13 on the season and 6-8 in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin while Carroll falls to 15-7 overall and 10-3 in league play.

Following an eight-day hiatus, the Cardinals host league-leading and No. 3 ranked Illinois Wesleyan on Wednesday, Feb. 19 for the final home game of the regular season. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside Gregory Arena.

Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.