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Kate Palmer and Lauren Huber high five
Kodiak Creative
71
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4-2,0-0 CCIW
58
DePauw DPU 2-3,0-0 NCAC
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
4-2,0-0 CCIW
71
Final
58
DePauw DPU
2-3,0-0 NCAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 17 20 18 16 71
DePauw DPU 12 13 18 15 58

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Titans Tame Tigers, Advance to Midwest Challenge Championship

Four Titans score in double figures

GREENCASTLE, Ind. - For the first time since 2019, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will play for the Midwest Challenge Championship after the Titans defeated DePauw University, 71-58, at Neil Fieldhouse Saturday, Nov. 26. The Green and White are now 4-2 on the season, while the Tigers tipped to 2-3.

A fairly balanced offensive effort saw four Titans hit double-digits in points. Sophomore Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) tied for the game-high with 19 points and a career-high seven rebounds. Junior Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) added 17 points and five boards on 8-of-10 shooting. Sophomore Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard West) tallied 16 points, a team-high eight boards, three assists, and two steals. Senior Katelyn Heller (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard East) finished with 14 points, six caroms, and a pair of assists.

Illinois Wesleyan finished the game with a field goal percentage of 46.3, going 31-for-67 from the floor. The Titans also went 7-for-10 from the charity stripe, and converted 2-of-10 three-point attempts. DePauw held a 39.3 clip from the floor, but went 6-of-18 from three-point range. The Tigers struggled at the free throw line, converting just 4-of-14 attempts.

IWU held a slim, 40-39, lead on the glass as five players grabbed five-or-more rebounds. The Green and White used 16 DU turnovers to compile a 13-8 edge in points of miscues. Illinois Wesleyan also held a 50-28 lead in points in the paint and a 12-4 edge in fast break points, but DePauw owned a 27-5 advantage in bench points and a 13-10 lead in second chance scoring.

Knutson established herself early on, as the Titans opened up a first quarter lead. After Huber drove down the left side of the lane for the game's first points, Knutson scored six straight to put IWU up, 8-4, at the under-five media timeout.

A three-pointer by Palmer capped a 9-2 run for the Green and White, expanding Illinois Wesleyan's advantage to 11, 17-6, with 2:25 left in the frame. DePauw responded with a six-point run of its own to close the quarter, 17-12, in favor of IWU.

The Titans' scoreless run carried over into the second period, but solid defense allowed Illinois Wesleyan to maintain its lead. Huber ended the four-minute drought with an assist to Knutson, and Palmer converted a pull-up jumper to reclaim a seven-point advantage.

The turning point in the quarter came with about three minutes to play as Knutson drew a charge, and IWU cashed in for five points on the other end. Freshman Laura Mahlum's (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) three-ball was followed by a swipe from Huber and a layup from Heller to give the Green and White its largest lead of the day, 32-18, with 2:07 to go in the half.

DePauw beat the buzzer to end the half, cutting Illinois Wesleyan's edge to 36-25, with 20 minutes to play.

The third quarter was even as each team scored 18 points. Palmer hit a jumper before the buzzer to end the period with a 12-point IWU lead, 55-43.

In the fourth, the Tigers could only get as close as 11, as Palmer's free throws put the game on ice and sealed the IWU victory.

Illinois Wesleyan will play in tomorrow's Midwest Challenge Championship against the winner of today's game between Washington University in St. Louis and Rose-Hulman Institute for Technology. Tipoff is set for 4 p.m. ET.

 
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