KENOSHA, WIS.—The Carthage College women's basketball team kicked-off the 2018-19 season with a home bout against Ripon College on Tuesday night. The Lady Reds, who haven't opened at home since the 2011-12 season, found themselves in a 10-0 hole within the opening four minutes of the game before they came back and cemented a 78-57 victory over the Redhawks in front of 402 spectators at Tarble Arena.
 
Autumn Kalis was nearly automatic with a game-high 17 points off a 5-of-10 mark from the field, and a 4-of-6 figure from three-point land. Madie Kaelber notched 13 points while Rachel Szydlowski registered 10 points to round out the Lady Reds in double figures.
 
Bailey Gilbert worked away from the basketball against the Redhawks as she chipped in a game-high six rebounds along with four assists and two steals. "She (Gilbert) does a little bit of everything for you," said Lady Reds head basketball coach Tim Bernero. "She'll have nights where she'll have five or six three's. Her normal shooting percentage wasn't there tonight, but she added four offensive rebounds, four assists and was pretty good defensively."
 
Carthage, who notched a 30-4 advantage over Ripon in points off turnovers, finished the contest with a .438 (28-64) field goal percentage and a .400 (10-25) mark beyond the arch.
 
The Lady Reds open 2018-19 with a 1-0, 0-0 CCIW mark while Ripon exits Tuesday with a 0-1, 0-0 MWC record.
 
Lady Reds 78, Ripon 57
 
A 10-0 Ripon run provoked a timeout from Lady Reds head coach Bernero with 6:04 left in the first quarter. Carthage weathered the storm with a pair of Szydlowski free throws and two Redhawks turnovers that turned into field goals, which cut the score to 10-6 with 4:45 left in the first quarter. Bailey Gilbert gave Carthage their final field goal of the opening quarter off her first three-pointer of the season with 1:34 left before Ripon took an 18-9 lead after the frame.
 
Carthage outscored Ripon 24-13 in the second quarter, capped by a Kalis three-pointer and a Sammie Woodward jumper that gave them their first lead of the game at 33-31 heading into the third quarter.
 
Maggie Oimoen tied it back up 33-33 with a jumper before Carthage regained the lead with a 27-2 run, which gave them a 60-35 lead after the third quarter. This was enough cushion for the Lady Reds in a 78-57 win over Ripon.
 
The Lady Reds will return to action at the St. Norbert College Tournament in De Pere, Wisconsin on Friday, November 16 where they'll face UW-Superior at 5:30 p.m.
 
"Superior has won their league four years in a row," said Bernero. "It's a team that's used to winning so you got to beat them."