APPLETON, Wis. — The Carroll University men’s basketball team scored 46 second-half points and held Lawrence University to just 24 percent shooting after the break to rally for a 74-68 Midwest Conference victory on Wednesday at Alexander Gymnasium.
Kevin Hurd and Alec Molter both posted double-doubles for Carroll (12-4, 8-3 MWC). Hurd had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Molter had 10 of 13 points and 10 of his 11 rebounds in the second half.
Conor Klusendorf had a double-double of 12 points and a game-high 13 rebounds to pace Lawrence (7-9, 5-6). Ryan DePouw led the Vikings with 15 points and Tyler Mazur added 13.
Lawrence was in command in the first half as the Vikings sprinted to a 38-28 lead at the break while shooting 53.6 percent from the floor.
The Vikings went cold in the second half and hit on only 7 of 29 shots (24.1 percent) from the floor. Lawrence was 3-for-14 on 3-pointers in the second half, connecting on just one of its first 12 tries from beyond the arc in the final 20 minutes.
Lawrence led 43-30 early in the second half, but Carroll scored 14 consecutive points to take a 44-43 lead on Molter’s layup with 13:40 left. The teams then traded the lead before the Pioneers took the lead for good at 49-48 on Hurd’s layup with 9:33 left.
Carroll built its lead to as many as nine points at 60-51, but Klusendorf answered with a three-point play. Lawrence then trimmed the lead back to 62-58 on a pair of free throws from DePouw with 2:27 left.
Lawrence missed its next two shots from the floor, both 3-pointers, and Carroll pushed the lead back to 68-58. Lawrence never got closer than six points after that.
The Vikings return to action on Saturday when they travel to Monmouth College.