No. 14/No.16 Illinois Wesleyan 64, Carthage 55
WAUKESHA, Wis. - The Carthage women's basketball faced off against the No. 14/No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan Titans in the 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women's Basketball Tournament Semifinals on Friday evening at the Carroll University Van Male Fieldhouse. The Firebirds held off an early push in the first half from the Titans before building a strong lead in the third quarter. The lead would not hold though, as the Titans rallied in the fourth quarter to defeat the Firebirds and advance to the CCIW Championship game.



Both sides got off to a slow start offensively in the first quarter. After first possession scores from Malia Green and Sara Balli, there were eight possession changes before the next basket when Green scored on a fastbreak layup. A layup from Caitlyn Leyden at the other end gave the Titans a 5-4 lead. The Titans extended the lead to 11-4 before a three from Delaney Elsmore cut the deficit down to four points. Elsmore would score another layup before the quarter's end and the Firebirds found themselves trailing 13-9 at the end of the period. Elsmore led the team with five points in the quarter.

Alyssa Orozco got the Firebirds offense started in the second quarter, scoring in the paint to bring the score to 13-11. The Titans offense then came alive, going on an 8-0 run to jump ahead 21-11 with 6:30 to play in the first half. A layup from Grace Cord ended the scoring drought for the Firebirds before a three from Whitney Thompson brought the Firebirds back within five points of the lead. A three from Green and a jumper from Cord tied the game, while a steal and score from Nora Ahram gave the Firebirds a 23-21 lead and forced a timeout from the Titans with 2:07 to play. The Titans came out of the timeout with back to back scores before Grace Cord hit a buzzer beater layup to end the half. The two teams entered the break with the score tied at 25-25. Cord led the team in the quarter with six points, while Green scored the most points in the first half with seven.

Cord kept the scoring going with a layup to open the third quarter, which was equally answered by a jumper from Illinois Wesleyan's Ava Bardic. A three from Green gave the Firebirds a 30-27 lead, which the Firebirds would later extend to a five-point lead with a layup from Cord. A pair of free throws from Ahram and a three from Elsmore continued to extend the Carthage lead, as the Firebirds led the Titans 41-33 with 3:18 left in the third quarter. The Titans attempted to close the gap near the end of the quarter, but a three from Elsmore and a layup from Brecken Carsello kept the Firebirds ahead by nine. A last second layup for Bardic brought the score to 47-40 with Carthage leading heading into the fourth quarter. Elsmore led the team with seven points in the quarter. 

The Titans opened the fourth quarter with an 8-0 run, erasing the Firebirds lead and giving the Titans a 48-47 advantage. A three from Elsmore put the Firebirds back up by two, but a three from Leah Palmer would soon put the Titans back up by one. The Titans held a 56-55 lead with 3:24 to play and proceeded to hold the Firebirds scoreless for the remainder of the contest.


 

• Delaney Elsmore - 18 points*, 3 rebounds, 2 assists
• Grace Cord - 12 points, 5 rebounds, 1 block*
• Malia Green - 10 points, 4 assists*, 1 block*, 2 steals*
• Brecken Carsello - 8 rebounds*

*led team in stat category



"So incredibly proud of this team," said Head Coach Megan Jones. "We started out the conference season 0-4 and fought our way back to earn the opportunity to be in the conference semifinals. Of course we aren't satisfied with that and tonight's result stings because of how hard we fought. We were in control for a good part of the second half but ultimately struggled to get a stop, rebound, and a score when we needed it the most. We have to learn from this game to help us grow next season. But no one should hang their heads with that effort."

"Thank you to our seniors who have poured so much into this program," added Jones. "They helped to leave the program in a better place than they found it and have elevated the standard of Carthage Women's Basketball. I also want to thank our coaching staff for all they continue to pour into this program to keep moving us forward. And a huge thank you to our crowd tonight, the football team, our families and fans, it truly felt like a home game."



The Firebirds (15-12, 8-8 CCIW) have concluded the 2025-26 season. Carthage women's basketball will return to Tarble Arena in 2026-27. For more information, visit athletics.carthage.edu.