Contact: Rachel Balinao, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, rabalinao@noctrl.edu

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Jan. 14, 2026) - Jocelyn Trotter scored a season-high 21 points, but the North Central College women's basketball team came up short in a 78-74 loss to No. 20 Carroll University on Wednesday night in a tightly contested game from start to finish. 

Carroll opened the game with a fast-break layup off a North Central turnover, but Trotter answered immediately with a jumper to even the score. Biz Daly followed with a tip-in layup and a steal moments later to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead. The teams traded baskets early, with Dolly Smith knocking down a three-pointer to make it 7-6. 

The back-and-forth continued as Cate Uhren scored inside and Natalie Doyle added a three-pointer to tie the game at 12. North Central closed the first quarter with consecutive three-pointers from Uhren and Trotter, taking its largest lead of the period at 18-13. 

Ameli Sanchez got the scoring underway in the second, with a three-pointer to extend the Cardinals' lead to 21-15. Carroll responded with two layups to cut the deficit to two before Grace Kieffer converted a layup to push back to six. The Pioneers continued to chip away, tying the game at 27 on baskets from Natalie Gricius, the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin's leading scorer. 

With under four left in the half, Carroll regained the lead on another fast-break layup off a turnover. After a technical foul shifted momentum, the Pioneers built a seven-point advantage following a three-pointer and two free throws. Kennedy Hartwig answered with a deep three-pointer, but Carroll closed the half on a run to take its largest lead of the half, 30-40. 

Trotter came out strong in the third quarter, scoring on a layup and a three-pointer to pull North Central within seven. Carroll added a three-pointer, but Kieffer answered with a layup on the Cardinal end. Then, a steal by Alaya Redditt led to a Trotter jumper, cutting the deficit to four. 

Following a timeout, Gricius completed an and-1, but Redditt responded with a layup of her own. Trotter continued her hot shooting with another three-pointer to make it 46-50. With under five minutes left in the quarter, Kieffer scored on a tip-in layup to pull the Cardinals within two. Sanchez later tied the game at 50 before Carroll answered on the other end.

Carroll briefly pulled away with a jumper and a three-pointer, but Smith scored inside to keep North Central close. Doyle closed the quarter with a three-pointer, sending the Cardinals into the fourth trailing 55-57. 

The Pioneers started the final quarter with a layup and two free-throws to extend the lead to six. Kieffer scored off a pass from Daly, and Trotter added a jumper to keep the Cardinals within striking distance. Sanchez went 2-for-2 from the line to make it a four-point game before Carroll answered with a deep three-pointer. 

Trotter scored on back-to-back jumpers to cut the deficit back to five, and Redditt followed with a backdoor layup to make it 67-72. Free throws from Smith and Redditt pulled North Central within two with under a minute remaining. 

Carroll converted another layup in the paint before Smith went 1-for-2 at the line. After North Central was forced to foul, Hartwig drilled a three-pointer with 15 seconds left to cut the deficit to two, but Carroll sealed the win at the free throw line, 74-78. 

Trotter led North Central with 21 points on 3-of-4 shooting from beyond the arc, adding four rebounds, two assists and a steal. Smith finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Gricius led all scorers with 23 points for Carroll and remains the CCIW leading scorer. 

Carroll shot 51.8% from the field compared to North Central's 45.8%, while the Cardinals held the edge from beyond the arc, 40.0% to 31.6%. The lead changed six times, the score was tied five times, and both teams committed 15 turnovers. 

North Central returns for a road game at Millikin on Jan. 21., tip-off set for 7 p.m. inside the Griswold Center. The Cardinals face the Big Blue for the first time this season, looking to defeat the CCIW's eighth seed.