Box Score Illinois Wesleyan 97, North Park 43 - Box Score, Feb. 20

CHICAGO, Ill. - The No. 3-ranked Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team claimed its third straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin championship with a 97-43 thumping of North Park in Chicago Feb. 20.

Freshman Melissa Gardner, who came into the game with a 4.4 scoring average, scored a team-high 16 points as the Titans ended their regular season with a 24-1 mark and a 13-1 record in CCIW play. The 97 points is the second highest output in a game this year, trailing only the 108 scored vs. Olivet Nazarene, and is the fourth time IWU has eclipsed 90 points in 2009-10.

Sophomore Olivia Lett contributed 14 points while junior Stacey Arlis got 12 points and a team-best eight boards. Senior Christina Solari and sophomore Amy Burton each scored 10 points in the Titans'sixth straight victory.

Illinois Wesleyan shot 46 percent from the field in the game (34 of 74) and limited the Vikings to 34 percent field goal shooting (15 of 44). The Titans connected on eight of 26 3-point efforts (31 percent) and knocked down 21 of 24 free throw tries.
IWU outrebounded North Park, 41-33, and forced the Vikings into 37 turnovers while committing only 16.

The Titans will next host No. 4 seed Millikin (15-10, 9-5 CCIW) at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 26 in a CCIW tournament semfinal game. The 5 p.m. game will pit No. 2 seed Carthage (22-3) vs. No. 3 seed Elmhurst (17-8) and the two winners will face off at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 27 at the Shirk Center. Go here for the CCIW women's tournament web site.

The Vikings (5-20, 2-12 CCIW) got a game-best 13 rebounds from Juliann Plimpton and Larissa Coldebella led the team with nine points.