APPLETON, Wis. -- Wes Ladwig heaved in a 40-foot 3-pointer at the end of regulation Saturday to force overtime, and the Carroll College men's basketball team then held on for a 115-113 double-overtime Midwest Conference win over No. 19 Lawrence University.
Ladwig, who finished with 40 points, also hit what proved to be the game-winning basket in the final seconds of the second overtime. Ryan Kroeger paced Lawrence with 33 points, and Andy Hurley had a monster night with 22 points and a career-high 18 rebounds.
The win pulls Carroll (11-5, 7-3 MWC) and Grinnell College to within two games of the first-place Vikings (14-2, 9-1). The loss snapped Lawrence's 10-game winning streak.
Lawrence, which led by as many as nine points in the second half, was up by six with 40 seconds left in regulation. After John Hoch hit a pair of free throws for Carroll, the Vikings converted only two of their next four attempts from the line. The Pioneers got a layup from Ladwig and a 3-point from Ryan Mueller to trim the lead to 81-80 with six seconds left.
Kroeger knocked down a pair of free throws to move the lead to 83-80, but Ladwig's prayer at the buzzer was answered to force the first overtime.
Lawrence led by four in the second overtime after Kroeger made a pair of free throws with 13 seconds left. A layup by Ladwig cut the lead to 98-96 with 10 seconds left, but Kroeger was called for a travel on the inbounds play when he slipped on wet spot on the court. Nate Zimmerman then hit a jumper with three seconds left to tie the score at 98-98. John Dekker's 35-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out.
Carroll grabbed the lead in the second overtime, and the Pioneers were up by four when Kroeger made a 3-pointer and was fouled with 11 seconds left. He converted the rare four-point play and tied the score at 113-113. Ladwig then hit a 15-foot jumper with 2.1 seconds left to put the Pioneers up 115-113.
Lawrence attempted a long pass down the court and it was broken up by Carroll. Kroeger tossed up a 3-pointer but it came after the buzzer had sounded.
Lawrence returns to action next Friday when it hosts Monmouth.