MEQUON, Wis. (Interstat) — Katie Barger scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, and Carroll (Wisc.) used a decisive fourth-quarter run to defeat Concordia Wisconsin 61-37 in a women’s NCAA Division III game Wednesday at Buuck Field House. The Pioneers improved to 1-2. The Falcons fell to 0-1 before an announced attendance of 427.

Carroll (Wisc.) shot 22 of 64 from the floor, 7 of 20 from 3-point range and 10 of 15 from the free-throw line. The Pioneers held a 16-4 advantage in offensive rebounds and scored 30 points in the paint. They finished with 12 assists, four blocks and 12 turnovers while scoring 16 points off Concordia Wisconsin turnovers. Carroll (Wisc.) produced 61 points on 67 possessions, an offensive rating of 90.9.

Concordia Wisconsin shot 15 of 51 overall, 4 of 15 from beyond the arc and 3 of 6 from the foul line. The Falcons had four offensive rebounds, seven assists, three blocks and 14 turnovers while scoring 11 points off turnovers. Concordia Wisconsin scored 20 points in the paint and generated 37 points on 64 possessions, an offensive rating of 57.9. The Falcons’ 15 made field goals were not enough to offset a 4-for-15 effort from 3-point range.

Barger, a guard, played 36 minutes and led all scorers. She entered the game after double-doubles in Carroll’s first two contests, and she helped the Pioneers stabilize after a back-and-forth opening stretch. Julia Lokker added 12 points, four rebounds and three assists in 33 minutes for Carroll (Wisc.), while Kacy Kratz had 12 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes. Ryann Wendt contributed 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists and two blocks. Lauren Capstran finished with six points, four rebounds and three assists, Payton Hayes had five points and five rebounds, and Lainey Gussman grabbed six rebounds.

For Concordia Wisconsin, Andrea Butterbrodt led the Falcons with eight points and five rebounds in 22 minutes. Jayden Ross had two points, five rebounds and four assists, Isabela Gunderson added three points, five rebounds and one block, and the Falcons could not sustain their early shooting success. Concordia Wisconsin stayed close early behind baskets from Butterbrodt and Aj Minar, and Gracie McNabb hit two 3-pointers in the second quarter to help the Falcons erase a six-point deficit and tie the score at 20 and again at 22.

The most important stretch came after Concordia Wisconsin pulled within 46-36 on Isabela Gunderson’s 3-pointer late in the third quarter. Carroll (Wisc.) answered with 15 straight points to open the fourth, turning a 10-point lead into a 61-36 cushion. Barger began the burst with two layups, then made two free throws. Hayes followed with a 3-pointer, Capstran made a free throw, Kratz connected from beyond the arc and Hayes capped the run with a layup. The spurt effectively put the game out of reach. Madalynn Becker made one free throw with 6.9 seconds remaining for Concordia Wisconsin’s final point.

Earlier, Lokker opened the scoring with a 3-pointer, and Carroll (Wisc.) led 17-15 after one quarter. The teams traded runs in the second quarter before the Pioneers took a 35-27 halftime lead. Carroll (Wisc.) then opened the third quarter with free throws from Lokker and a layup from Capstran, and Kratz’s inside scoring helped push the lead to 46-33 before Gunderson’s late 3-pointer. Concordia Wisconsin’s best stretch came in the second quarter, when McNabb’s two 3-pointers and Butterbrodt’s interior scoring helped the Falcons tie the score twice. The Pioneers’ depth and rebounding advantage wore down the Falcons in the second half.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Carroll (Wisc.) 65, Concordia Wisconsin 57, and its ELO system gave Carroll a 96 percent probability to win. The actual result followed the projected winner, though the Pioneers’ margin was larger than expected.