ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The 21st-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team rolled past the Rose Hulman Institute of Technology in its first game of play at the Midwest Challenge hosted by Washington University in St. Louis Saturday, Nov. 30. IWU never trailed in the contest and used a 30-2 advantage in fastbreak points to advance to the tournament's championship game.

The win moved Illinois Wesleyan to 5-1 on the season, while Rose Hulman dipped to 0-3 on the year. 

The junior duo of Kendall Sosa (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) and Samantha Munroe (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles East) paced the Titans with 19 and 17 points, respectively. Sophomore Brooke Lansford (Leawood, Kan.-Blue Valley West) added 11 points to round out IWU's double-digit scorers.

Junior Anna Lowis (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred-Heart Griffin) grabbed a career-high seven rebounds and senior Sydney Shanks (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) chipped in five boards. Shanks also notched seven assists, four points, and a block in the win.

The Titans shot 41.7 percent from the floor and held the Fightin' Engineers to a 22.4 clip. IWU hit 11 three-pointers and converted 42.3 percent of its three-balls, while RHIT went 3-for-24 from distance. 

Rose Hulman earned a 46-41 edge on the glass, aided by 16 offensive rebounds. Illinois Wesleyan recorded nine steals to RHIT's four, with sophomore Catie Eck (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart Griffin) leading the way with three thefts.

Illinois Wesleyan rattled off seven unanswered points out of the gates to take control right from the tip. IWU shot nearly 70 percent from the field and knocked down four triples to take a 23-11 lead into the second period, capped by a bucket by Lansford at the buzzer. THe Titans turned the Fightin' Engineers over nine times in the frame to fuel the hot start.

IWU was just as relentless in the second quarter, doubling up Rose Hulman 19-8 over the 10-minute span. Illinois Wesleyan held RHIT to just two field goals in the period, while freshman Kelly Carlson's (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) putback sent the Titans into the half with a commanding 42-19 advantage.

The Titans led by as many as 38 in the second half en route to a 68-34 victory to advance to the championship game of the Midwest Challenge tomorrow, Dec. 1. Illinois Wesleyan will square off with the winner of the DePauw/WashU opening round game at 4 p.m.