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NORMAL, IL - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team renewed its rivalry with Illinois State University Sunday afternoon, Oct. 29, at CEFCU Arena. The game, which was an exhibition for both teams, provided an early look at the Titans and Redbirds ahead of the 2023-24 season. IWU was defeated, 94-56. (Photo by Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative)
Kodiak Creative
73
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 3-1,0-0 CCIW
80
Winner Hope Hope 4-0,0-0 Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn.
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
3-1,0-0 CCIW
73
Final
80
Hope Hope
4-0,0-0 Michigan Intercol. Ath. Assn.
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 19 20 14 20 73
Hope Hope 21 15 19 25 80

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Falls to Flying Dutch

Titans host UW-Whitewater Tuesday night, Nov. 21

HOLLAND, Mich. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team saw its unbeaten start to the season come to an end Saturday, Nov. 18, with an 80-73 loss to No. 21 Hope College at DeVos Fieldhouse. IWU fell to 3-1 on the season with the setback, while Hope improved to 4-0 on the year.

Junior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) continued her torrid start to the year, going for a season-best 27 points with 16 rebounds. She also added three assists and a steal. Three others finished in double figures as junior Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) scored 13 points, sophomore Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) added 12, and junior Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) finished with 11. Bardic hauled in a career-high eight rebounds and tied for the team lead with four assists. 

The Titans finished 31-of-71 from the floor, good for a 43.7 clip, but struggled from the long line and at the charity stripe. IWU went just 6-for-25 from distance and 5-for-13 at the free throw line. The Flying Dutch finished with a field goal percentage of 45.2 percent (28-of-62) and hit 11-of-24 three-pointers. Hope did not fare much better at the free throw line, going 13-of-19.

Hope used a 21-9 lead in points off turnovers and a 37-7 advantage in bench scoring to down IWU. Illinois Wesleyan finished with a 13-0 lead in second chance points, aided by 16 offensive rebounds and a 45-36 lead on the glass. The Green and White also notched a 46-32 edge in points in the paint. 

In a game that saw six lead changes and the score tied 11 times, a Huber layup from junior Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) tied the score at 55 in the opening minute of the fourth quarter. Hope outscored IWU 10-6 over the next few minutes as a three-ball put the Flying Dutch ahead, 65-61, with just over six minutes to play. 

The triple brought about a timeout by Titan head coach Mia Smith, which proved to be timely as it put the Green and White back on track. Knutson connected on a jumper in the paint out of the regrouping session and Bardic found Huber for a putback to even the score at 65 all with 4:20 left to play.

Bardic once again found Huber for a layup, this time tying the score at 70, with 2:43 on the clock. The bucket was followed by a two-minute long scoring drought by the Titans as the Flying Dutch opened up a 77-70 lead. 

A Huber three-pointer cut the Hope lead to four, 77-73, with 17 seconds remaining, but the Flying Dutch converted at the charity stripe to hold off the Titans, 80-73.

Illinois Wesleyan will look to get back on track Tuesday night, Nov.  21, as the Titans welcome University of Wisconsin-Whitewater to the Shirk Center. Tipoff of IWU's home opener is slated for 6 p.m.

 
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