KENOSHA, Wis. - A slow start and frustrating finish fueled a Firebird defeat tonight against the visiting North Park University Vikings, as Carthage lost 59-56. 



 

• Final score: North Park 59, Carthage 56. 
• Location: Tarble Arena - Kenosha, Wisconsin. 
• Records: Carthage 9-15 (5-10 CCIW), North Park 9-15 (5-10 CCIW). 

 

• The visiting Vikings scored the first six points of the night, holding Carthage scoreless for the first five minutes of game action. A bucket from Lauren Knight in transition ended the drought and got the Firebirds on the board. 
• North Park scored five more unanswered to bring the score to 11-2 in favor of the Vikings. Carthage only scored two points in the entire first quarter of play, turning the ball over often and shooting only 1-11 from the field. 
• A Marianna Morrissey And-1 to start the second quarter helped jumpstart Carthage's offense. Lauren Knight followed Morrissey's bucket with consecutive three-pointers, trimming the deficit to two at the 7:30 mark of the quarter. 
• The Firebirds took their first lead of the night on a pair of layups from Margueret Spear and Bridget Barrett, respectively. North Park's Victoria Perry went on a personal 6-0 run to end the half, bringing the visitors back in front by three - leading 24-21. 
• North Park's 10-0 run, spanning the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third quarter, put the Vikings ahead 28-21 just a minute into the final half of basketball. The Viking's lead was pushed to nine, tied for its largest of the night, before Carthage surged back with an 8-0 run to tie the contest. Sound play on both ends from Malia Green and Jessie Pakaski helped lead the charge. 
• The lead was seized back by Carthage on a Morrissey two-pointer, with Carthage ahead 39-37 at the 2:02 mark of the third period. Morrissey connected on a pair of free throws to give Carthage its largest lead of the night at four, and the home team took a three-point lead into the fourth quarter of play. 
• The fourth quarter was similar in nature to the start of the game, as Carthage turned the ball over and struggled to convert offensively; the Firebirds failed to score until the 3:26 mark of the quarter, when Ayanna Ester drilled a clutch three-pointer in her final home game as a Firebird. 
• Foul-line conversions from North Park helped keep enough distance between the two teams until a clutch side-step three-pointer from Addison Ebeling whittled the deficit to one with 36 seconds remaining in the pivotal CCIW matchup. 
• Emma Thistle scored on a tough layup with 15 seconds left to bring the Firebirds back to within one, but a successful trip to the line for North Park effectively sealed the deal; Carthage was unable to put up a game-tying attempt from three on its last offensive possession. 
• North Park scored 23 points off of 21 Firebird turnovers, holding Carthage to 27.3% shooting from deep in its road-victory. 

 

• Jessie Pakaski was excellent in limited minutes tonight, with the team outscoring North Park by ten in her ten minutes of action. 
• Emma Thistle dished out six assists tonight in 20 minutes on the floor. 
• Addison Ebeling was productive off the bench for Coach Bernero, collecting six rebounds and leading the team in +/- as a +19. 

 

• Carthage's regular-season finale will take place this Saturday, February 18 beginning at 2 p.m, as the Firebirds are set to battle with the Illinois Wesleyan University Titans.