Ava Bardic dribbling at Illinois State Oct. 29, 2023

Kodiak Creative

Titans Complete Comeback to Edge Puget Sound

Bardic goes for career-high 29 points

11/17/2023 9:20:00 PM

HOLLAND, Mich. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team battled back from 18 points down to take down the University of Puget Sound, 78-77, Friday night, Nov. 17, at the Hope College Tournament. With the win, the Titans advance to 3-0 on the season and earned a matchup with No. 21 ranked Hope tomorrow, Nov. 18, at 2:30 p.m. ET. The Loggers dipped to 1-2 overall and will meet John Carroll University in the consolation final at 12:30 p.m. ET.

Sophomore Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) erupted for a career-high 29 points on 9-of-16 shooting, including four three-pointers. Junior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) notched a 17-point, 15-rebound double-double. Juniors Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) and Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) tallied 15 and 12 points, respectively.

Illinois Wesleyan finished with a field goal percentage of 37.9 overall and 39.1 from three-point range, while Puget Sound shot 37.5 percent from the field and 38.7 from distance. Neither team shot particularly well at the free throw line, as the Loggers connected on 11-of-16 attempts and IWU 19-of-32 tries, but the Titans converted freebies late to hold on for the win.

The Green and White trailed by as many as 18 in the first half, but used a 15-point run in the fourth quarter to turn the tide. After hitting her first free throw, Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) grabbed an offensive rebound and found Palmer for a triple with 7:45 to go in regulation.

Bardic followed with a layup and an and-one setup by Powers, to pull the Titans within two, 65-63, before Palmer's jumper leveled the score at 65 all with six minutes left to play.

With the defense holding strong, Bardic and Huber converted jumpers to open up a 69-65 IWU lead, one Illinois Wesleyan would not relinquish.

Puget Sound used a pair of free throws to cut the Titan lead to one with 2:50 on the clock, but free throws by Bardic, sophomore Laura Mahlum (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington), Powers, and Huber kept the Green and White on top.

Illinois Wesleyan will battle tournament host, Hope, tomorrow, Nov. 18, at 2:30 p.m. ET in DeVos Fieldhouse.

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