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Sara Balli vs. UW-Whitewater
Ashtin Elder
71
Elmhurst ELM 3-3,0-1 CCIW
101
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 6-2,1-0 CCIW
Elmhurst ELM
3-3,0-1 CCIW
71
Final
101
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
6-2,1-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Elmhurst ELM 25 9 21 16 71
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 34 23 27 17 101

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Trounces Elmhurst in League Lid Lifter

Titans put up highest point total since Jan. 27, 2018

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team overpowered Elmhurst University Wednesday night, Nov. 29, in its College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener.  The Titans moved to 6-2 (1-0 CCIW) with the 101-71 victory over the Bluejays (3-3, 0-1 CCIW). 

IWU's point total marked the most by the Green and White since defeating North Park, 105-53, Jan. 27, 2018.

Sophomore Sara Balli (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) led the Titans with a career-high 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting as one of five players in double digits. Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) posted a 16-point, 10-rebound double-double, and junior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) scored 15 points with seven boards. Junior Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) continued to fill up the stat sheet with 13 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. Sophomore Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) added 11 points with six assists and a team-high four steals.

Illinois Wesleyan was efficient on the night, converting 40-of-77 shots for a 51.9 percent showing. The Titans hit 8-of-20 three-point tries, with White knocking down three, but went just 13-for-23 at the free throw line. Elmhurst was limited to a field goal percentage of 35.8 percent (29-for-81) overall and just 14.3 percent from beyond the arc (4-for-28). EU converted 9-of-16 free throws.

With both teams looking to get out in transition, the game saw a fast back-and-forth start to the night. Elmhurst grabbed an 8-6 lead with 7:34 to play on Rowan Cusack's layup, but the Titans responded with an 8-0 run to take control. Huber's layup got things started before Knutson drove baseline and converted an easy bucket. White then made an extra pass on a reversal, with a slip to Knutson for a layup, while sophomore Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) capped the spurt.

The Bluejays trimmed the Titans lead to two on a three-pointer with four minutes remaining in the period, but Bardic knocked down a stepback with seconds left in the quarter to give IWU a 34-25 lead after 10 minutes of action.

The second period saw the Titans outscore the Bluejays, 23-9. Powers found Laura Mahlum (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) for a bucket with 4:25 on the clock to open up a 50-34 IWU advantage. After hitting a free throw, Mahlum then found White a three-pointer. Freshman Anna Beyers (Pana, Ill.-Pana) finished off the half with an assist, as she drove into the paint and flipped back to Huber for a three-ball to give Illinois Wesleyan a 57-34 stronghold at the break.

IWU extended its lead to as many as 35 in the second half as the Green and White rolled to a 101-71 victory.

The Titans are back in the Shirk Center Saturday, Dec. 2 as they host Carroll University at 5 p.m. for IWU's Alumni Day. The contest will serve as the opener of a doubleheader with the IWU men's game at 7:15 p.m.

 
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