HOLLAND, Mich. - Junior Kendall Sosa (Normal, Ill.-Normal Community) became the 24th Titan in Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball history to eclipse 1,000 career points as IWU blew past Berea College, 76-50, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Friday night, at DeVos Fieldhouse.

The Titans never trailed in the contest and lead by as many as 32 before securing their first NCAA Tournament victory since the 2017-18 season. IWU notched its 20th win of the year, pushing its record to 20-9 on the year, while Berea finished the season 25-4.

Sosa led all scorers with 26 points and added five rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a pair of blocks in a historic performance. Fellow junior Riley Brovelli (Oglesby, Ill.-LaSalle-Peru) registered her 10th double-double of the season with 15 points and 13 rebounds, while senior Sydney Shanks (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) chipped in 11 points and six rebounds. Sophomore Kaia Bowen (Rantoul, Ill.-St. Thomas More) was gritty off the bench, finishing with eight points, six rebounds, and a team-high four steals.

As a team, the Titans held one of the nation's top rebounding teams in check. IWU grabbed 54 rebounds and held BC, who averages 50.0 a game, to 39. Illinois Wesleyan tallied 14 assists to Berea's eight, and led in points in the paint, 44 to 26.

IWU finished the game 29-for-69 from the field, with five triples, and went 13-for-19 at the free throw line. Meanwhile, the Mountaineers were stymied offensively. Berea finished 19-of-64 from the floor and 4-of-24 from the long line. 

Sosa drained three triples in the opening minutes and Brovelli grabbed key rebounds to fuel the Titans to a 15-4 lead at the under-five media timeout. 

Fouls were plentiful over the next three minutes before a transition three-pointer saw Berea cut the IWU advantage to five with 2:19 to go in the period. Free throws from Shanks ended a two-minute scoring drought and the Titans found Brovelli off an inbounds play to take a 21-12 lead into the second quarter.

Illinois Wesleyan built up as much as a 20-point lead in the second period behind balanced offensive play. Along with Sosa, Brovelli, and Shanks, Bowen and sophomore Brooke Lansford (Leawood, Kan.-Blue Valley West) added buckets to send the Titans into the break in front, 41-25.

IWU expanded on its lead in the third quarter, as Sosa scored 11 points and Bowen added five to pace the Titans. With her 21st point of the game, a pull-up jumper, Sosa eclipsed 1,000 career points, becoming the 24th Titan to do so in program history. Freshman Katelyn Heller (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard West) capped the period with a shifty move to the bucket to close out the quarter with Illinois Wesleyan leading 65-41.

Illinois Wesleyan did not slow down in the final stanza, pushing its advantage to more than 30 points. The Titans held the Mountaineers without a bucket for more than four minutes, before running away with the win, 76-50.

With the win, the Titans advance to tomorrow night's second round contest against the winner of the other first round game between No. 1 Hope and Grove City. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. ET. Links to the live stream, live stats, and radio broadcast can be found on the women's basketball schedule page on IWUsports.com.