Box Score Illinois Wesleyan 78, North Central 50 - Box Score

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team clinched a share of its fourth straight College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season title with a 78-50 win at North Central on Thursday, Feb. 17.

The win gives the Titans a 19-4 overall record and an 11-1 CCIW mark while also earning IWU the right to host the 2011 CCIW women's basketball tournament. A win over North Park or a Wheaton loss to Elmhurst on Saturday would give the Titans the outright CCIW title.

North Central falls to 8-16 overall and 4-9 in the league.

The Titans played North Central without the services of head coach Mia Smith, who missed the contest with illness.

Illinois Wesleyan led by five (30-25) at the half and North Central scored the first basket of the second half to close the gap to three at 30-27 before the Titans piled on the next 11 ponts to take a 41-27 lead. IWU scored 21 straight points during a seven-minute second half stretch en route to the 28-point win. IWU shot 62.5 percent (20-for-32) in the final period.

Junior Olivia Lett led the Titans with 18 points while senior Nikki Preston scored 12 and senior Stacey Arlis added 11.
In the game IWU shot 48 percent from the field (32 of 66) and made 10 of 27 from 3-point range (37 percent). IWU knocked home four of eight free throws and handily outrebounded North Central, 43-31, led by Arlis with eight.

The Cardinals, who were led by the nine point effort of Christine Karl, shot 33 percent from the floor (18 of 54) and made four of 14 3-pointers (29 percent). North Central committed 19 turnovers compared to 16 for IWU.

Illinois Wesleyan hosts North Park at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 19, in the WBCA "Pink Zone" Game to raise money and awareness for the fight against cancer. It is also "Seniors' Night."