Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
WAUKESHA, Wis. - Megan Moody (3) during a CCIW game against Carroll inside Van Male Fieldhouse on Saturday, December 3, 2022. (Photo by Kodiak Creative/Jimmy Naprstek)
Kodiak Creative
72
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 14-10,9-6 CCIW
65
North Central (IL) NCC 6-17,3-12 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
14-10,9-6 CCIW
72
Final
65
North Central (IL) NCC
6-17,3-12 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 17 19 20 16 72
North Central (IL) NCC 15 15 17 18 65

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Clips Cardinals for CCIW Win

Titans see three hit double-digit points

Postgame Interview

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team walked out of Gregory Arena with a 72-65 win over North Central College Saturday night, Feb. 11, in its final road game of the regular season. The Titans (14-10, 9-6 CCIW) trailed by as many as seven, but battled back to knock off the Cardinals (6-17, 3-12 CCIW).

Three players scored in double figures for the Green and White, with sophomore Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) leading the way with a game-high 23 points. Huber added team-bests of 15 rebounds, four assists, and three steals as she picked up her 10th double-double of the season. Senior Katelyn Heller (Glen Ellyn, Ill.-Glenbard West) added 13 points, while fellow senior Kelly Carlson (Western Springs, Ill.-Lyons Township) added 11 points and seven boards. 

As a team, IWU overcame a sluggish offensive performance that saw the Titans connect on just 38 percent (27-of-71) shot attempts and 3-of-12 three-point tries. NCC finished 21-for-48 from the floor, good for a 43.8 clip, and hit 8-of-18 three-point attempts. In a game that saw a combined 42 fouls, the Titans went 15-for-24 at the free throw line and the Cardinals finished 15-for-23. 

A catalyst for Illinois Wesleyan's offense was its defense as IWU used 21 NCC miscues to create a 22-10 lead in points off turnovers. The Titans also held leads in points in the paint (30-20), second chance points (12-0), and fastbreak scoring (15-5). IWU dominated on the glass, 46-32, and pulled in 17 offensive rebounds to NCC's one.

The Green and White trailed for much of the first quarter as the Cardinals used three triples to go up by as many as six. Free throws from Carlson were followed by three-pointers from sophomore Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) and senior Megan Moody (Gibson City, Ill.-Gibson City/Melvin-Sibley), trimming the deficit to one, 13-12. 

Freshman Sara Balli (Lake Park, Ill.-Lake Park) came on strong in the final minute of the first 10 minutes of play to close out the period on a 5-0 run. She converted a quick layup and then combined with fellow freshman Laura Mahlum (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) to force a NCC turnover. Balli cashed in on the miscue with a three-pointer from the wing with five seconds left to reclaim a 17-15 lead.

After North Central opened the second quarter with a three-pointer, Illinois Wesleyan manufactured a 17-4 run that spanned nearly seven minutes to take a six-point lead into the break. The run, which saw the Titans battle back from down seven got rolling on a heady pass from junior Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville). Getting the ball down on the block, Knutson passed out of a double team to find Huber for a quick jumper. The run carried on from there as Carlson posted a pair of and-ones, the last of which came in the final minute, to push IWU ahead, 36-30, into halftime.

North Central used 10 trips to the free throw line and 6-of-10 shooting from the field to chip away at Illinois Wesleyan's lead in the third. With NCC back within three, 50-47, IWU rattled off six straight points. Heller hit a pair of free throws before Huber capped the quarter with a steal at midcourt and a layup to give the Titans their largest lead of the night, 56-47.

The Cardinals had one final push in them, getting within as few as three, but the Titans responded with a pair of assists from Huber. The first led to a Knutson layup and the second gave Carlson her 10th and 11th points of the evening to extend IWU's cushion to seven, 62-55.

Illinois Wesleyan never looked back from there, earning a 72-65 victory over North Central.



The Titans head into a week-long break before welcoming Carthage College to the Shirk Center Saturday, Feb. 18, for Senior Day. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will see IWU honor seniors Megan Moody, Emily Collins, Claire Retherford, Katelyn Heller, and Kelly Carlson pregame.
 
Print Friendly Version