UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. - A career-best performance from junior captain Kendall Sosa (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community HS) fueled the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team to a 78-71 victory in its season opener at Governors State University Saturday, Nov. 9. The Titans are now 1-0 on the season, while the Jaguars dropped to 0-3 this year.

Sosa scored a game-high and career-high 29 points on 8-of-19 shooting from the field. She added 11 points from the free throw line, where she converted 11-of-12 attempts. Joining Sosa in double figures were senior Sydney Shanks (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) and junior Riley Brovelli (Oglesby, Ill.-LaSalle-Peru HS). Shanks tallied 19 points, aided by a trio of triples, while Brovelli added an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double.

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan went 24-of-67 from the floor with six three-pointers. IWU was 24-for-34 at the charity stripe. Meanwhile, GSU converted 40 percent of its shots from the floor and went 12-for-15 at the line. 

IWU's defense turned the Jaguars over 30 times and recorded 14 steals. Shanks led the way with four swipes, while Sosa and sophomore Kaia Bowen (Rantoul, Ill.-St. Thomas More HS) added three apiece.

A tight first period saw the Titans hold a three-point edge, 16-13, through 10 minutes of play before blowing the game open in the second. IWU outscored GSU 23-9 in the second stanza as Shanks boosted her point total to 17 at the midpoint to give Illinois Wesleyan a 39-22 lead at the break.

Governors State flipped the script on IWU out of the half, pouring in 30 points to the Titans' six in the third to take a 52-45 lead into the fourth quarter.

A swipe and score from Bowen with six minutes to play gave the Titans a 57-56 lead before a Brovelli steal led to a bucket by junior Sam Munroe (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles East). From there, Illinois Wesleyan expanded its lead to as many 10 en route to the 78-71 victory.

IWU returns to action Tuesday, Nov. 12, at the University of Chicago. Tipoff between the Titans and 18th-ranked Maroons is scheduled for 7 p.m.