Box Score The Carthage College women's basketball team (8-2, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) opened play in the “D3hoops.com Classic” on Tuesday afternoon, Dec. 27 and escaped with a 57-51 win over DeSales University (5-5) at the South Point Casino Arena in Las Vegas. 

The game was close in the early going, before Carthage took a seven-point lead, 23-14, at 6:12.  The Lady Reds went up by 13 points, 29-16, at 2:52 and upped their lead to 15 points, 31-16, at 2:14.  Carthage led by 15 at the break, 33-18.  A three-pointer by Dani Ripkey at 17:18 second half gave the Lady Reds their largest lead at 16 points, 36-20. 

The Bulldogs closed to within 10, 38-28, at 10:51 before Carthage went back up by 15 points, 43-28, at 9:32.  DeSales made a furious run at the end of the game.  Down by 10, 45-35, at 7:33, the Bulldogs closed to within six at the buzzer, 57-51.

Carthage shot 40 percent (21-53) but just three-of-13 from the three-point range, while DeSales shot just 32 percent (18-57) and hit just two-of-12 three-pointers.  The Lady Reds out-rebounded the Bulldogs by a 47-29 margin.  Carthage' Diana Jacklin (Sr., Berwyn, Ill./Morton West) had 12 points on five-of-12 field goals and two-of-five free throws, along with a game-high nine rebounds.  Allison Groessl (Sr., Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) added 10 points on four-of-seven shooting and two-of-four from the free-throw line.  Colleen Gavin had 13 points and six boards for the Bulldogs. 

Carthage takes on No. 14 Wisconsin-River Falls (11-0) on Thursday, Dec. 29 at 9 a.m., PST.  The Falcons were a 60-50 winner over No. 25 Thomas More College on Wednesday, Dec. 28, also in Las Vegas.