KENOSHA, Wis. (Feb. 18, 2026) - In its final regular-season game, the North Central College women's basketball team struggled offensively and fell to Carthage College, 60-48, in a match up that helped determine hosting rights for a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Tournament quarterfinal game.

Carthage opened the game on an 8-0 run, knocking down two early three-pointers. Kaitlin Park accounted for North Central's first five points to keep the Cardinals within reach at 13-7. Park added a baseline layup late in the quarter as North Central trailed 15-9 at the end of the first. 

Jocelyn Trotter ended a four-minute scoring drought with a pull-up jumper to open the second quarter, cutting the deficit to 21-11. Natalie Doyle followed with a 2-for-2 trip to the free throw line to make it 23-13. Kennedy Hartwig later converted a pull-up jumper off a pass from Park to trim the margin to nine. 

Carthage continued to push the pace offensively, extending its lead before Sanchez buried her first three-pointer of the game off another assist from Park to make it 31-21. Dolly Smith close the half with a pair of free throws as the Cardinals went into the break trailing by eight. 

Alaya Redditt started the second half with a three-point play to bring the Cardinals within five at 31-26. Sanchez connected on her second three-pointer of the night to cut the deficit to 31-29. Carthage responded with a 6-0 run to regain control at 37-29. Sanchez added her third three-pointer to make it 39-32, but Carthage closed the third quarter with a pair of free throws to take a 43-32 lead. 

Sanchez opened the fourth quarter with an and-1 conversion to pull North Central within 43-35. Carthage answered with back-to-back three pointers before Hartwig hit a three in response to make it 48-38. In the final minute, Grace Kieffer and Taylor Marquart each scored on driving layups as Carthage extended its lead to 60-45. Doyle capped the scoring for North Central with a contested three-pointer to account for the 60-48 final.

North Central shot 29.1% from the field compared with 45.6% for Carthage. The Cardinals held the edge from three-point range, finishing 6 of 18 while Carthage went 3 of 17. The 48 points marked North Central's lowest scoring output of the season. 

North Central is set to host a CCIW Tournament quarterfinal game Tuesday, Feb. 24, inside Gregory Arena. The Cardinals' opponent will be determined following the conclusion of Saturday's conference games and the finalization of the standings.