The Carthage College women's basketball team (6-1, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 13th in the Dec. 8 Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division III poll and 20th in the Dec. 8 “D3hoops.com” poll, had its season-opening six-game winning streak snapped by Robert Morris University (Ill., 10-4), 59-57, on Friday, Dec. 11 at Loyola University's Joseph J. Gentile Center in Chicago.

 

The first half saw seven lead changes and six ties. Robert Morris (Ill.) led by as much as seven points, 14-7, at 12:14, but Carthage led by a point at halftime, 29-28. The Lady Reds led for most of the second half. Carthage went up by six points, 34-28, at 17:56 before the Eagles tied the contest, 42-42, at 10:45. There were seven more ties over the next seven minutes. Carthage's last lead was 57-55, at 4:19. The Eagles' Shante Clark tied the game, 57-57, at on a jumper at 3:08. The Lady Reds had opportunities down the stretch. Heather Gilmore missed a layup at 2:56, and Diana Jacklin missed both ends of two-shot free throw at 1:06, sandwiched around a pair of turnovers. Niara Harris connected on a jumper for Robert Morris with 35 seconds to go, giving the Eagles their first lead of the second half at 59-57. Carthage's Drewann Pancratz missed what would have been a game-tying layup with 14 seconds to go. The Lady Reds came up with the carom but turned the ball over. With eight seconds to play, Jacklin rebounded a missed Eagles free throw. Carthage called timeout and got the ball to Rosie Dorn, who missed what would have been a game-winning three-pointer at the horn.

 

Carthage shot 43 percent (22-51), while Robert Morris shot just 35 percent (23-66). The Lady Reds out-rebounded the Eagles, 44-35, but turned the ball over 24 times to just 12 for Robert Morris. Diana Jacklin (So., Berwyn, Ill./Morton West) scored 19 points on seven-of-11 field goals and five-of-eight free throws, along with a season-high 15 rebounds. Dani Ripkey (So., Deerfield, Ill.) added 11 points. The Eagles' Jessica Harris led all scorers with 22 points and seven rebounds, while Ashley Williams had 15 points. Carthage plays host to Concordia University (Wis., 5-2) on Monday, Dec. 14 in a 7:30 p.m. game at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.