BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team defeated the University of Chicago on Saturday, Dec. 17 by a final score of 79-52. IWU's offense was clicking on all cylinders with five Titans scoring in double-digits. Junior Rebekah Ehresman led the way with a game-high 18 points alongside a team-high seven rebounds. Ehresman shot an efficient 6-of-12 from the floor.

With a win the Titans improved 5-4 on the season while the Maroons fell to 6-3 overall.

Junior Molly McGraw followed Ehresman's lead with a 16 point effort. Sophomore Maddie Merritt and freshman Sydney Shanks each added 11 points while senior Amanda Kelly rounded out the bunch with 10. Shanks added a career-high five steals alongside her 11 points. Sophomore Nina Anderson also had a solid day on the defensive end, collecting four steals.

Overall, the Titans forced the Maroons into committing 38 turnovers which led to 44 points. IWU outscored Univ. of Chicago 16-0 off of turnovers in the fourth period and 27-4 in the second half. The Titans also held a significant advantage in second chance points, outscoring the Maroons 20-9.

Univ. of Chicago held a three-point advantage over the Titans heading into halftime. IWU shot just 30.3 percent in the first half as opposed to 43.5 percent for the Maroons. This lead didn't last for long as Illinois Wesleyan broke out of their shell in the second half to outscore the Maroons by 30 points. IWU used a 30-7 advantage in the fourth period to secure victory over Chicago.

What's Next?
Following a break for the holiday's the Titans hit the road for a pair of out of town contests. IWU first heads south to Lexington, Ky. where they will face No. 4-ranked Thomas More College. The Saints of Thomas More are currently 7-0 on the season. Following their matchup with Thomas More the Titans will head east to Wilmington, Ohio where they face Wilmington College.