PARKLAND, Wash. - Junior Gabrielle Holness scored a career-high 27 points as the Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team won for the first time since Nov. 29 with an 83-72 victory over the University of Puget Sound in the Pacific Lutheran Holiday Tournament at the Olson Gymnasium and Auditorium in Parkland, Wash. on Friday, Dec. 18.

Illinois Wesleyan snapped a three-game losing streak to improve to 4-5 overall this season while the Loggers dropped to 6-4 with the loss. 

Holnesss went 10-18 from the field including 5-9 from beyond the arc, and added five rebounds and four assists. Her previous career high was 22 points, achieved at Wis.-Stevens Point on Nov. 22, 2014 and again at Millikin on Jan. 14, 2015.

Sophomore Rebekah Ehresman scored 20 points to go along with five rebounds and five steals while sophomore Molly McGraw scored 16 points. Junior Gabby Weber had a team-high six rebounds and five steals in 22 minutes of action. 

The Titans shot just shy of 50 percent from the field going 33-67 (49.3%) despite connecting on only five of 16 three point attempts (31.3%). IWU was outrebounded by UPS 38-37 but forced the Loggers into 24 turnovers resulting in 23 points. Each team scored 34 points in the paint while IWU made the most of 12 offensive rebounds that resulted in 16 second chance points. 

What's Next?
IWU wraps up the Pacific Lutheran Holiday Tournament with an 6 p.m. PT game against the host Lutes. PLU was 3-3 going into the nightcap of their own holiday tournament against the University of Chicago. Pac Lutheran is led by senior guard Megan Abdo who averages 14.2 points per game while junior Samantha Kelleigh is averaging 11.7 points per game.