BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - On a special Senior Day, Saturday Feb.27, at the Shirk Center, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team avenged a two point Feb. 25 loss to North Park University with a 77-61 blowout. The Titans improve to 4-3 on the season, while the Vikings stumble to 8-4.
Offensively, the IWU seniors led the charge. Senior
Kendall Sosa (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) had her fourth 30-point plus game of the season. Sosa finished with 34 points highlighted by a career-high seven threes on eight attempts.
Riley Brovelli (Oglesby, Ill.-Lasalle-Peru) had 16 points, and
Samantha Munroe (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles East) added 10 points. Junior
Brooke Lansford (Leawood, Kan.-Blue Valley West) had a team-high five assists, while Sosa and fellow senior
Anna Lowis (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred Heart-Griffin) each added four assists. Brovelli and Sosa led the Titans with eight rebounds each, Sosa grabbing five of her eight on the offensive end.
North Park's defense, which is ranked first in the conference, proved to be no match for the Titan's offensive efficiency. Going into Saturday's contest, the Vikings were allowing an average of 55.9 points per game and holding opponents to 35.7 percent shooting. Illinois Wesleyan shot over 50 percent from the floor (28-of-55) along with 50 percent from three (7-of-14).
The Titans started the game on a 14-2 run, with help from Sosa's three early triples. Illinois Wesleyan never looked back and ended the first quarter with a 24-10 lead. The Titans dominated offensively, and shot 61.5 percent from the floor, with Sosa scoring 21 points in the first half.
The second half brought much of the same dominance from the Green and White as the Vikings never got within 15 points of the Titans' lead. In the fourth quarter, Illinois Wesleyan extended its lead to 28, before the Titans' four seniors were taken out of the game in celebratory senior day style.
Parents and a few family members of the Titan's four seniors were in attendance. A small celebration and ceremony was held following the game for Brovelli, Lowis, Munroe, and Sosa.
WIth the Titan's win, and Carroll's loss, Illinois Wesleyan secured the no. 4 in the CCIW tournament. IWU will host 5th seeded Carroll on Thursday, March 4th inside the Shirk Center. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.