Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Brooke Lansford at Eastern Illinois
59
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 0-1,0-0 CCIW
68
Winner Wittenberg Witten 1-0,0-0 NCAC
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
0-1,0-0 CCIW
59
Final
68
Wittenberg Witten
1-0,0-0 NCAC
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20 16 6 17 59
Wittenberg Witten 13 13 21 21 68

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Stumbles in Season Opener at Wittenberg

Titans return to action at Capital tomorrow, Nov. 13, at 4 p.m. ET

SPRINGFIELD, Ohio - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team faltered in its season opener at Wittenberg University Friday night, Nov. 12. The Titans (0-1) fell to the Tigers (1-0) 68-59 as Witt used a strong third quarter to down IWU.

Senior Brooke Lansford (Leawood, Kan.-Blue Valley West) led the Titans with 14 points. Senior Catie Eck (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart-Griffin) and freshman Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) added nine points apiece. Junior Kelly Carlson (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds. 

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan finished the game 21-of-65 from the floor (32.3 percent) and 9-of-29 from distance (31 percent). Wittenberg connected on 25-of-59 shots (42.4 percent) and matched IWU with nine three-pointers. The Green and White went 8-for-12 from the charity stripe, while Witt went 9-for-11. 

The Titans held a 22-4 advantage in bench points and cashed in 18 turnovers by the Tigers for 13 points. IWU blocked five shots, led by Eck's three rejections. WU tallied one block.

A layup by junior Katelyn Heller (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard West) capped a 7-0 game-opening run by Illinois Wesleyan with 6:26 to play in the first quarter. The Tigers cut the lead to two, 13-11, but a free throw by freshman Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva), a triple from Powers, a layup by Heller, and a freebie from Eck quickly put the Green and White up 20-11 with 25 seconds left in the first frame.

In the second quarter, Carlson sank a layup and Lansford drilled a three-ball to push IWU ahead, 28-18. The Titans eventually took a 36-26 edge into halftime.

Illinois Wesleyan's double-digit lead was erased in the third quarter, as Wittenberg began the period with a 15-2 run to claim a 41-38 lead. The Tigers went on to score the period's final six points, hitting a pair of three-balls, to take a 47-42 lead with 10 minutes to play.

Senior Kaia Bowen (Rantoul, Ill.-St. Thomas More) converted a pair of free throws, Lansford scored a layup off a steal, and Eck sank a bucket to pull IWU within two, 59-57, with 2:45 remaining on the clock. 

Wittenberg responded with seven straight points to extend its lead to nine and put the game out of reach as IWU fell, 68-59.

Illinois Wesleyan is back in action tomorrow, Nov. 13, for a 4 p.m. ET tipoff at Capital University.
Print Friendly Version