Box Score The Carthage College women's basketball team (7-1, 0-0 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin) ranked 16th in the Dec. 3 "D3hoops.com" poll and 17th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today NCAA Division III poll, defeated Loras College (4-3), 71-50, on Saturday, Dec. 7 at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.  The win was the seventh in a row for the Lady Reds following a season-opening loss to Ohio Northern University.
 
Loras had an early, eight-point lead, 17-9, at 8:44.  Carthage tied the contest, 21-21, at 8:29 and went ahead to stay, 23-21, at 8:03 on a jumper by Stephanie Kuzmanic.  The Lady Reds led the Duhawks by 12 points at halftime, 37-25.  In the second half, Loras whittled the margin down to four points on two occasions, the latter at 50-46 with 7:47 remaining.  Carthage closed out the game on a 23-4 run to win by 21 points, 71-50.
 
Carthage shot 57 percent (29-51), including a sizzling 62 percent in the second half (13-21) and five-of-13 from three-point range.  Loras shot 42 percent (22-52), including just two-of-nine three-pointers.  The Duhawks out-rebounded the Lady Reds by a 30-24 margin but turned the ball over 19 times to 13 for Carthage.
 
Three Lady Reds starters scored in double figures.  Kristi Schmidt (Sr., Bloomington, Ill./Normal-Community) led the way with 16 points on six-of-seven field goals and a perfect four-of-four from the free-throw line.  Michelle Wenzel (Sr., Darien, Wis./Delavan-Darien) scored 15 points on seven-of-10 shooting, and Haley Stercic (Sr., Chicago, Ill./Marist) added 12 points on four-of-eight three-pointers.  Alexis Hahn (So., Itasca, Ill./Roselle-Lake Park) came off the bench to score 18 points on eight-of-nine field goals, along with a game-high 11 rebounds and three assists.  Katie Langmeier led the Duhawks with a game-high 19 points.

"Alexis Hahn is turning into a really good player," said Carthage coach Tim Bernero.  "She can score and rebound, but I have to challenge her and some others to get better, defensively.  The difference is between being good sometimes and being good all the time.  We guarded Loras well enough to get things done, but we weren't standing up to them, physically, like we needed to.  We were there, but there wasn't enough of a physical presence to avoid easy access to the basket.  We did a good job of finishing the game with a 23-4 run.  Everyone is playing their role well.  Even though we're 7-1, we haven't played our best basketball yet."
 
Carthage takes off the week of Dec. 9 for final exams and returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 17 with a 6 p.m. home game versus Coe College (2-5) at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.