APPLETON, Wis. -- The Lawrence University women's basketball team couldn't hold off Carthage College on Saturday at Alexander Gymnasium and dropped a 74-71 nonconference decision to the Firebirds.
    Lawrence led by as many as 25 points in the first half, but Carthage scored 46 second-half points to grab the win in the season opener for both teams.
    Kenya Earl and Maggie Culver led Lawrence with 17 points apiece. Earl hit 4-of-8 shots from the floor and went 8-for-9 from the foul line in addition to grabbing nine rebounds and picking up a pair of steals. Culver, in her collegiate debut, went 5-for-9 from the floor and 6-for-7 from the line.
    Ashley Batac and Lydia Lueck added eight points apiece, and Caroline Sharpe had seven for the Vikings. Lauren Knight scored 21 points and was one of five Carthage players to score in double figures.
    Lawrence led 9-8 in the first quarter before hitting three consecutive 3-pointers to pull out to an 18-8 advantage. The Vikings were still up by 10 when they scored 11 consecutive points, capped by Batac's 3-pointer, for a 34-13 lead with 6:57 left in the first half. 
    The Vikings pushed the lead to 25 on two occasions before Carthage finished the first half on a 12-2 run to trim the margin to 42-27 at the half.
    Carthage chipped away at the lead throughout the second half and took the first lead of the game at 63-61 on Emma Thistle's 3-pointer with 2:36 left in the contest. Thistle was the key down the stretch as she hit another 3-pointer and then went 6-for-6 from the foul line over the final 30 seconds. 
    Earl kept the Vikings in it as she made five consecutive free throws, but Lawrence trailed 74-71 in the final seconds. Earl got off a 3-pointer in the final seconds, but it was off the mark.