Carthage College controlled the first half of play and the contest Tuesday evening in Thornton Gymnasium against the host Spartans, with AU falling 85-42 to Carthage.
The Lady Reds jumped out to a 10-3 lead a mere three minutes into the game and would never look back.
Carthage would go on to extend their lead to 20-7 at the midway point of the first half as they forced numerous Spartan turnovers. The Lady Reds took a commanding 48-24 lead into halftime.
For the half, the Spartans were led by freshman guard Becky Gifford, as she chipped in nine points on three-of-six shooting from the field to go along with four rebounds. Junior forward Megan Russe also contributed six points.
The second half was much like the first half as Carthage again started off strong, going on a 14-3 run in the first six minutes to extend their lead to 62-27.
The Lady Reds built a 75-35 lead with seven minutes remaining and the final score would be 85-42. The Spartans were led by Gifford, who led all Spartan scorers with 10 points.
With the loss, the Spartans fall to 1-2 while the Lady Reds improve to 3-0.
Next action for the Spartans comes on Saturday, November 28, when they host Benedictine University in the 2009 Northern Athletics Conference opener. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m. in Thornton Gymnasium.
