NAPERVILLE, ILL.—The Carthage College women's basketball team entered Wednesday's bout at North Central College with a four-game losing skid at Merner Fieldhouse/Gregory Arena. The Lady Reds snapped that skid with a 67-57 victory over the Cardinals behind Madie Kaelber's game-high 22 points and four steals, and Bailey Gilbert's second career double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. Gilbert is now 21 points away from becoming the 23^rd Lady Reds basketball player to eclipse 1,000 for her career.
 
Both squads utilized their depth as a combined 26 players saw playing time. Maggie Berigan led Carthage's bench with 11 points and six boards while North Central's Haydn Braun paced the team in scoring with 14 points as their lone individual in double-figures.
 
Carthage surrendered their third-lowest field goal percentage of the season as North Central mustered a .305 (18-59) mark, and a .222 (6-of-27) figure from beyond the arch.
 
The Lady Reds stretch their win streak to four games and improve to 10-5, 4-2 CCIW while the Cardinals fall to 3-13, 1-6 CCIW.
 
Lady Reds 67, North Central 57
 
Carthage led the entire game and jumped to their first 10-point cushion with 2:35 left in the first quarter when Sammie Woodward's mid-range jumper made the score 19-8. Braun sparked a 7-3 Cardinals run to end the opening quarter, which shrunk their deficit to seven points at 22-15. The Lady Reds maintained that seven-point edge at halftime with a 37-30 lead.
 
The Cardinals got within three points of Carthage at the 8:12 mark of the third quarter when Natali Dimitrova's layup cut the score to 37-34. This was enough ignition for a 16-5 Lady Reds run to close the frame and regain a double-digit lead at 53-39 heading into the final 10:00. Carthage maintained a 10-point cushion throughout the fourth quarter and secured a 67-57 victory.
 
The Lady Reds will end their two-game road swing at Augustana College (Ill.) on Saturday, January 12. Tip-off from Rock Island, Illinois is set for 5:00 p.m.