The Pioneers shot 52.2% from the field in the first half to jump out to a 37-24 lead at the break. Carroll cooled off in the second-half, shooting 36.0% from the field, but was able to knock down 9-of-11 free throw attempts to keep a double-digit lead throughout most of the final 20-minutes.
“Obviously, I was pleased with the way we played in the first-half,” said head coach David Schultz. “I was disappointed in our second-half because we weren’t sharp mentally. But, we’ll take the win and go back and look at some things and get ready for Knox tomorrow.”
The win improves Carroll to 17-2 overall, 11-1 in the Midwest Conference and qualified them for their third-consecutive trip to the post-season conference tournament. The win also tied the school record for most wins in a season, matching the 17-win total of the 1961-1962 and 2003-2004 teams.
“Qualifying for the tournament was definitely one of our goals,” said Schultz. “Now it’s time to set our sights even higher.” The Pioneers trail league-leading Lawrence University by one-game. The Vikings are 12-0 and ranked #3 by D3hoops.com.
Carroll returns to action tomorrow afternoon when they host Knox College at 3:00 p.m.