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Mallory Powers | at Carroll
Kodiak Creative
62
Illinois Wesleyan IWU 7-5
65
Winner La Verne ULVW 10-1
Illinois Wesleyan IWU
7-5
62
Final
65
La Verne ULVW
10-1
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Illinois Wesleyan IWU 14 16 21 11 62
La Verne ULVW 18 16 15 16 65

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Titans Edged by Leopards

IWU led by five with just over six minutes to play

LA VERNE, Calif. - A late scoring drought sunk the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team at the University of La Verne Thursday night, Dec. 29. The Titans came up short, 65-62, as they saw their record dip to 7-5 on the season, while the Leopards lifted their record to 10-1.

A putback from sophomore Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) halted a nearly six-minute long scoring drought for the Titans, pulling IWU within two, 62-60, with 22 seconds to play. La Verne capitalized on a pair of free throws with 13.4 seconds left, but a pull-up by Huber kept the Titans alive with 4.1 ticks on the clock. After another free throw from the Leopards, a game-tying desperation heave missed off the backboard, sealing the three-point setback for the Titans.

Two Titans finished in double figures, with Huber leading the way with 24 points. The sophomore finished one rebound shy of a double-double and added two assists. Junior Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) tallied 12 points, while sophomore Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) recorded a season-high 13 rebounds to go with nine points, two assists, and a steal.

Illinois Wesleyan shot just 37.3 percent from the floor (28-for-75) and converted just 1-of-12 three-point tries. The Green and White went 5-for-10 at the free throw line, where the Leopards finished 13-for-24. ULV hit 24-of-65 shots (36.9 percent) and used four three-pointers on 23 attempts to edge IWU.

The Titans forced 15 ULV miscues and committed just 13, but the Leopards used five blocks to keep the Green and White off balance offensively. IWU held an 11-9 lead in points off turnovers, a 12-10 edge in second chance points, and a 32-26 advantage in points in the paint. La Verne outscored the Illinois Wesleyan bench, 18-7, and led in fast break scoring, 6-2.

The Titans overcame a first-half deficit that saw the Leopards lead by as many as six, before La Verne held a 46-41 advantage midway through the third quarter. 

Out of a timeout, freshman Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) drained a triple on a great hustle play by the Green and White. The three-ball, which proved to be IWU's lone three-pointer of the game, pulled the Titans within two, 46-44. 

After a free throw by Powers, Knutson knocked down a pull-up jumper as she drifted into the paint as IWU's trail. White then added a layup to put Illinois Wesleyan in front, 49-47.

The Green and White took a two-point cushion into the final period thanks to Powers' stepback bucket from the elbow and a charge drawn by the Titans. 

Illinois Wesleyan stretched its advantage to five on a heady defensive play by White. The freshman point guard swiped a cross court pass and drove it in for an easy layup to push the IWU edge to five, 56-51, with 6:10 left to play.

The big play from White brought about a La Verne timeout, which proved to stall the Titans' momentum. The Leopards quickly drilled a deep three-pointer out of the timeout, and then used a pair of free throws and another triple to turn the tide. The Green and White mounted a late comeback, but could not overcome the deficit. 

Illinois Wesleyan looks to get back on track tomorrow, Dec. 30, as the Titans close out their two-game California stint at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. PT.

 
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