Waukesha, Wis. -- The Thunder women's basketball team traveled to Carroll University on Wednesday night already assured of a place in the upcoming CCIW Tournament but knowing that an upset on the road could see them maintain a slim chance of earning a first round bye in the competition. But the Pioneers, who have now secured the second seed for this year's tournament, were up to the challenge that Wheaton posed and eventually earned a competitive 68-59 victory. The Thunder's record now stands at 14-10 and 9-6 in CCIW play heading into the last game of the regular season. Despite the final result, Caroline Sikkink had a standout performance for the visitors this evening, leading all players with 22 points and earning another double-double. 

The guests from Illinois outscored their northern hosts 15-14 in the opening quarter to mark their intention of earning a positive result on the road. Carroll earned an early 9-4 advantage, and responded to a Caylee Hermanson three with another five-point run. But the Thunder tallied the last eight points of the frame thanks to baskets from four different players over a two and a half -minute span. Carroll missed their last seven shots of the period as well as two free throws, and Sikkink registered a layup in the paint to complete the comeback and give the visitors a slim edge heading into the second quarter.

A layup in the lane from Annika Richardson on Wheaton's first possession of the next frame gave the Thunder their largest lead of the contest at 17-14. Sikkink notched another paint layup to make it 21-18 Wheaton with 7:34 left in the half, and the subsequent five minutes were back-and-forth with neither team being able to build a lead larger than two points. The Pioneers finally earned a bucket with 1:18 remaining to go up 30-27, and they answered a Wheaton free throw with a successful jumper on their final possession of the half to solidify a 32-28 halftime lead.

The second half of tonight's contest was similarly competitive as the Pioneers only outscored their guests by five points after the break. But Wheaton never managed to pull back level on the scoreboard after a Sikkink layup made it 34-34 two and a half minutes into the third quarter. Carroll sprang an 8-0 run after this point, and this momentum shift provided the springboard for the home side to close out the win. The Pioneers led by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, and Wheaton battled well to avoid their second lopsided loss of the season to Wednesday's opponents. Hermanson gave the Thunder a glimmer of hope when she knocked down a three with just under a minute left in the game to pull Wheaton back within six points. But two made free throws for Carroll on the following possession and a missed three-pointer by the Thunder on their next trip sealed the hosts' key win.

Carroll shot 42.6% from the field in the game while holding Wheaton to a 31.3% figure. Neither team had their best night from behind the three-point line, but the Thunder edged the Pioneers, 22.2% to 21.4%. Both sides registered 13 points from the free throw line with Wheaton earning the superior 68.4% percentage. The visitors won the battle on the glass at a comprehensive 52-36 margin, but the Pioneers forced more turnovers than the Thunder. Wheaton tallied 17 second chance points to Carroll's nine, but the hosts' sizable advantages in the bench points, points off of turnovers, and points in the paint categories helped bring about the game's ultimate scoreline.

Sikkink grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds to pair with her contest-best point total for her double-double. The junior also collected two steals and blocked one shot. Hermanson was the only other Wheaton player to score in double figures on Wednesday, going for 11 points, five boards, and a joint game-best three blocks. Richardson and Ellie Cassel each tallied nine points, with the former securing eight rebounds and one assist and the latter hauling in nine boards. Lily Schwen and Anna Fernandez put in versatile performances in the backcourt, as Schwen posted four rebounds, a pair of assists, and a team-high three steals. Fernandez went for four points, six rebounds, and a team-leading five assists. 

Wheaton will take the short trip over to Elmhurst on Saturday afternoon for their final game of the regular season. The Thunder know that they will be playing in a CCIW Tournament Quarterfinal next Tuesday regardless of this weekend's outcome, but a win against the Bluejays could see Wheaton secure hosting rights for that game as the #4 seed in the conference. Tip off is scheduled for 2:00 PM in Elmhurst on Saturday.