WHITTIER, Calif. -- Trailing by five points after three quarters, the Illinois Wesleyan women's basketball team outscored King's College (Pa.) by a 24-8 margin in the final period to come from behind and claim a 76-65 win on Friday, Dec. 28, in the Whittier (Calif,) Holiday Inn La Mirada Purple & Gold Poet Classic.

The Titans have now won eight straight games and are 10-2 overall while the Monarchs, playing for the first time since Dec. 8, lost their second straight game and are 6-4.

Illinois Wesleyan trailed by as many as 11 points early and were down 26-18 after one quarter. 38-36 at halftime and by a 57-52 score after three. The Titans went on a 10-4 run to get a 62-61 lead with 6:08 to play in the game and, with the game tied at 62, IWU went on a 13-1 surge to lead by 12 at 75-63 with just 23 seconds left.

Senior Maddie Merritt led IWU with 24 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while junior Sydney Shanks had a career-high 12 rebounds as the Titans held a commanding 47-25 rebound edge in the game with 19 coming on the offensive end.
Sophomore Raven Hughes added 16 points and senior Nina Anderson contributed 12.

In the game, IWU shot .443 from the field (31 of 70) and made only three of 17 (.176) from 3-point range. The Titans were 11 of 15 from the free throw line.

Alexis Steeber scored 17 points and Mackenzie Yori added 15 to lead the Monarchs.

What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan plays the host school, Whittier College at 5 p.m. Pacific time, on Saturday, Dec. 29. The Poets are 5-3 ahead of a game against Brooklyn College on Friday night.