ELMHURST, Ill. - The Elmhurst women's basketball team ran into a hot-shooting Carthage team, falling to the Lady Reds 80-69. 

Carthage (6-9, 2-2 CCIW) shot 50-percent from the field, 69-percent from three-point range, and 88-percent from the free-throw stripe in the win, setting season-highs in all three categories (minimum eight attempts). 

The Bluejays (8-7, 2-2 CCIW) scored the first six points of the game and broke out to an nine-point lead on three occasions in the first quarter, but Carthage ripped off an 8-0 quarter-ending run to pull within one at the first break. After Elmhurst held an advantage for much of the second quarter, Carthage took the lead four minutes before halftime and never looked back, leading for the rest of the contest. 

After taking a four-point advantage to the locker room, the Lady Reds ripped off the first 10 points of the second half to open a 14-point lead. Elmhurst outscored the Lady Reds by seven in the remainder of the quarter and an Erika Johnson layup pulled the Bluejays to 55-48 heading into the final period. Carthage took charge again in the fourth, pulling to a 13-point advantage with 5:24 to go, but Elmhurst made one final push. A layup by Claire Monroe with 1:40 to go brought the Bluejays within six at 71-65. Carthage knocked down 9-of-10 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. 

Mikaela Eppard led the Bluejays with a double-double (20 points, 13 rebounds), while Johnson (13 points, tying her season high) and Courtney Spencer (season-high 10 points) also reached double-figures. Elmhurst outrebounded the Lady Reds 37-32 and won the turnover battle 15-12, but Carthage's shooting was too much to overcome. 

Morgan Harris poured in a game-high 26 points for the Lady Reds to go along with seven rebounds, and four assists. Carthage's Bailey Gilbert (19), Mandy Hozzian (13), and Erin Thomas (10) also recorded double-digit points. 

Elmhurst looks to rebound when they host Wheaton this Saturday, January 16 at 7:30 p.m.