Box Score
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – 16th-ranked Carthage jumped out to an 18-2 lead and went on to defeat Augustana 88-52 in the CCIW opener for both teams Saturday at Carver Center. The Vikings fall to 4-8 on the year, while the Lady Reds improve to 10-2.
 
Michelle Wenzel scored six points of Carthage's first eight points and the Lady Reds had 13 on the board before a Marissa Pezzopane (Addison Trail HS, Wood Dale, Ill.) basket got Augustana in the scoring column. After five more Lady Red points made it 18-2, an Amy Hicks (Rockford Christian HS, Rockford, Ill.) three-point play started an 8-2 Viking run that cut the deficit to 20-10. Senior Molly Etheridge (Normal Community HS, Bloomington, Ill.) scored the other five points on a three-pointer and a two-point field goal.
 
The margin bounced between 11 and 19 for the rest of the half, with a Chaney Tambling (Dwight HS, Dwight, Ill.) bucket in the final minute getting Augustana to within 39-25 at halftime.
 
The visitors continued to build on the lead in the second stanza with Haley Stercic scoring nine points on three of four three pointers.
 
Carthage had excellent balance, putting five players in double figures, led by Stercic, whose 15 came on five three pointers. Wenzel, Alexis Hahn and Taylor Boardman all had 12 and Kristi Schmidt added 10. The Lady Reds shot .559 from the field and hit six of 17 (.353) three-point attempts.
 
For Augustana, Etheridge was the only player in double digits, scoring 11. Pezzopane added nine, Jessica Baids (West Chicago HS, Carol Stream, Ill.) eight and Hicks had a team-high nine rebounds to go with seven points. The Vikings shot just .323 from the field on 20 of 62, although they hit three of nine three-point attempts and nine of 10 free throws.
 
Carthage had a 41-26 advantage on the glass and committed just 10 turnovers to 16 for Augustana.
 
The Vikings are back in action again on Wednesday, January 8, taking on Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington, Illinois. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.