Carroll University took the lead for good with five straight points late in the fourth quarter and the Pioneers held on for a 58-54 win against the Hamilton College Continentals in the Nashville Music City Classic at Trevecca Nazarene University's Trojan Field House on Monday.

Hamilton (9-2 overall) lost for the first time this December after the Continentals edged Bridgewater State University 74-68 in Nashville, Tenn., on Sunday night. Hamilton scored 20 points off 23 Carroll turnovers and led by a dozen early in the second quarter.

The Pioneers (5-6) -- from the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin -- won their third straight game. Carroll made more free throws (16) than the Continentals attempted (15). The Pioneers held the advantage in points in the paint (26-18) and bench points (29-18).

Kayla Glemaud '21 led Hamilton with 16 points and blocked two shots. Glemaud scored a career-high 17 points in Sunday's win over Bridgewater State. Mackenzie Aldridge '20 tallied 10 of her 11 points in the first half off the bench. Liz Arnold '22 posted 10 rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Six of those 10 boards were on the offensive glass. Scout Lansing '21 passed out six assists and Kelcie Zarle '22 was credited with three steals before she fouled out in the final seconds. Zarle leads the NESCAC in steals with 32 and Lansing tops the team with 4.2 assists per contest.

Sierra Grubor topped Carroll with 15 points and nine rebounds. Kate Christian added seven points and three assists and Emily Majerus handed out three assists. Eleven Pioneers scored at least a point.

Neither team led by more two points until Lansing nailed a 3-pointer for a 12-7 advantage for the Continentals with 1:02 left in the first quarter. Hamilton owned a 14-10 lead after the opening 10 minutes. Aldridge's jumper in the final seconds of the quarter kicked off a 10-0 run that gave the Continentals their largest cushion of 12 points. Aldridge led off the second quarter with a trifecta and followed with another basket. Glemaud contributed a free throw and Arnold's jumper made it 22-10 with 7:31 remaining.

Carroll responded with a 16-4 spurt that covered the rest of the half. A basket by Grubor tied the score at 26-26 with 1:20 to go and that's how the teams went into the break.

The lead didn't get bigger than five points for either team in the third quarter as there were three lead changes and three ties. Grubor's two free throws with three seconds left gave the Pioneers a 43-38 advantage after three quarters.

Carroll took its largest lead of seven points at 45-38 on Amanda Hooks' layup about a minute into the fourth quarter. Hamilton's defense clamped down and allowed just two field goals by the Pioneers during the next six minutes.

The Continentals slowly chipped away at Carroll's lead and went ahead for the last time at 51-50 on a Glemaud jumper with 3:15 remaining. Glemaud scored 13 points in the second half alone. The Pioneers went in front for good with five straight points on a free throw by Grubor, a layup by Elizabeth Behrndt and two more free throws by Grubor that made it 55-51 with 1:03 left. A 3-pointer by Arnold pulled Hamilton within one 21 seconds later, but Grubor answered with a jumper with 18 seconds remaining and Christian clinched the victory on a free throw with nine ticks to go. The Continentals were 1 of 6 from the field in the final three minutes.

Hamilton returns home to take on Rochester Institute of Technology in a non-conference game on Saturday, Jan. 4 at 2 p.m.