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Carthage College Athletics

The Official Website of The Carthage College Firebirds
Thistle-Emma
Kayleigh Wieska
56
Winner Carthage CARTH 12-4,4-3 CCIW
54
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 8-8,3-4 CCIW
Winner
Carthage CARTH
12-4,4-3 CCIW
56
Final
54
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL
8-8,3-4 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Carthage CARTH 15 15 13 13 56
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 13 14 11 16 54

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Firebirds Hang On to Earn Road Win Over Wheaton

Carthage 56, Wheaton 54
WHEATON - The Carthage women's basketball team traveled to Wheaton, Ill. to compete against the Wheaton Thunder in a CCIW Saturday showdown. It was a close game the entire way, as the Firebirds used a last second basket to come away with a road victory over the hosting Thunder.



Elena Knebel got the Firebirds on the board first on a jump shot during the first possession for Carthage. The two teams traded points through the first half of the period until a three from Emma Thistle extended the Firebirds lead to 7-4 with 4:59 to play. A layup from Knebel and a three from Alyssa Orozco extended the lead even further at 12-6. Thistle would sink another three to end the Firebirds scoring in the first quarter, before a 4-0 run for the Thunder ended the period with the Firebirds ahead 15-13. Thistle led the way with six points in the quarter.

The Thunder tied the game at 15-15 with a basket to start the second quarter. A free throw from Marianna Morrissey and a layup from Thistle put the Firebirds back in front 18-15 with 8:53 to play in the first half. A 6-2 run for the Thunder would give the home team the lead for the first time in the game with 6:13 to play in the second, but a layup  and a free throw from Malia Green put the Firebirds back in front 23-21. A basket from Knebel extended the lead to four points and a three from Wheaton's Grace Kizer cut the lead back to one point. Orozco answered back with a three for the Firebirds, boosting the lead back to four points with 3:18. The Firebirds entered the half with a 30-27. Knebel led the quarter in scoring with four points, and closed the half with a team-high eight points.

The Thunder opened the second half with a game-tying three, but Green answered back right away with a three for the Firebirds. A layup from Thistle extended the lead to five at 35-30. A 5-0 run for the Thunder tied the game at 35-35 with 6:46 left in the third quarter. Another three from Green gave the Firebirds the lead once more before the Thunder answered back with a three to even the score at 38. Thistle and Jessie Pakaski combined for a 5-0 run for the Firebirds to end the quarter, as Carthage ended the third period with a 43-38. Thistle and Green each finished with six points in the quarter.

Knebel drained a three to open the fourth quarter and cushion the Firebirds lead to 46-38. A 5-0 run over three Wheaton possessions cut the lead to three points with six and a half minutes left in the game. Back to back layups from Morrissey and Orozco brought the lead back to seven before a 7-0 run for the Thunder tied the game at 50-50 with three minutes left to play. A pair of free throws gave the Thunder a 52-50 lead with 2:29 to go. A three from Morrissey put the Firebirds back in from 53-52 with 1:47 on the clock. Morrissey then drew a foul with 31 seconds left and made a free throw to extend the lead to 54-52. The Thunder tied the game on a Kate Oliver jump shot with 22 seconds to go. Cartahge called timeout to advance the ball up to inbound at the offensive end. Thistle passed the ball to Orozco in the low post, before getting the ball back from Orozco while driving into the paint. The defense crashed on the senior guard, who found Knebel for the open layup with 4.9 seconds left. The Thunder called timeout and attempted a last second three for the win but came up short.


 
  • Thistle led the team in scoring with 14 points, as well as three rebounds, three assists, and three steals.
  • Knebel finished with 13 points, four rebounds, and two assists.
  • Morrissey finished with 11 points, five rebounds, two assists, and three steals.




"It feels good to get back in the win column," said Head Coach Megan Jones. "Our team needed a win like that to show ourselves we can fight through adversity and a momentum shift like that. Wheaton went on a 9-0 run at a crucial point in the game and we got refocused and responded with some huge rebounds and defensive stops. Road games in conference play are always a challenge and I'm really proud of the way we kept fighting tonight to come out on top."



The Firebirds (12-4, 4-3 CCIW) return to action on Wednesday, Jan. 22 as the team travels to Naperville, Ill. to take on North Central at 7 p.m. Carthage women's basketball returns to Tarble Arena on Jan. 25 as the Firebirds host Augustana at 2 p.m. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.

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