Box Score The Carthage College women's basketball team (21-3, 12-1 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin), ranked 10th in the Feb. 18 "D3hoops.com" poll, 10th in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association/USA Today NCAA Division III poll, and second in the Feb. 19 NCAA Division III Central Region poll, got by CCIW-opponent North Park University (11-12, 4-8 CCIW), 80-74, on Wednesday, Feb. 19 at the North Park Gymnasium in Chicago. 

With the win, the Lady Reds clinched at least of share of this year's conference title, with Illinois Wesleyan University (16-7, 10-2 CCIW) remaining in second place.
 
Carthage took a 14-point lead midway thru the first period, 23-9, at 10:04.  The Lady Reds made it a 16-point game, 27-11, at 7:24, but a 14-3 Vikings run cut the lead to five points, 30-25, at 4:06.  North Park cut the lead to four points, 36-32, at 2:45 and trailed by seven at the break, 43-34.  Carthage went up by 15 points, 49-34, at 17:36 and still led by 12, 52-40, at 15:20.  North Park pulled to within three points, 57-54, at 9:19, and a three-pointer by Nikki Przybyslawski at 4:36 cut the lead a point, 67-66. 

Carthage went back up by four, 72-68, at 2:05, but a Dominikque Williams jumper with 58 seconds to play made it a 72-70 game.  The Lady Reds closed the game out at the free-throw line by making eight-of-eight down the stretch, including six-of-six by Kasey Kleiner, two with 52 seconds left, two with 37 seconds to play and two more at the 12-second mark.  Carthage went on to win by six points, 80-74.
 
Carthage shot 53 percent (26-49), including just six-of-10 from three-point range, while North Park shot 48 percent (25-52), including six-of-12 three-pointers.  The Lady Reds got to free-throw line 27 times and made 22, while the Vikings connected on 18-of-24.  Carthage out-rebounded North Park, 32-27.
 
Three Carthage starters scored in double figures.  Stephanie Kuzmanic (Sr., Mount Prospect, Ill./Wheeling) led the way with 17 points on five-of-10 field goals, including two-of-three three-pointers, along with five-of-eight free throws, four rebounds and six assists.  Michelle Wenzel (Sr., Darien, Wis./Delavan-Darien) scored 13 points on four-of-nine and five-of-seven free throws, along with six rebounds.  Kristi Schmidt (Sr., Bloomington, Ill./Normal-Community) had 12 points and four boards, and Kasey Kleiner (Jr., South Milwaukee, Wis./Somers-Shoreland Lutheran) came off the bench to add 11 points.  Liz Rehberger led the Vikings with 15 points.
 
"Free-throw shooting has not been one of our strengths this year," admitted Carthage coach Tim Bernero, "so it was nice to see us go 10-for-10 down the stretch when the game was on the line.  We needed to be a little more stout, defensively.  We were in the right places, but we weren't stopping them.  We let go where they wanted to, and they did a good job getting back in the game.  We need to do a better job of closing games out, but this was a workmanlike effort."
 
Carthage closes out its regular-season schedule on Saturday, Feb. 22 by playing host to conference-opponent Millikin University (11-13, 5-8 CCIW) in a 5 p.m. game at Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wis.  "Everything is still in play for Saturday, said Bernero.  "We need a win to play host to the conference tournament, and Millikin needs a win to get in."