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Ava Bardic readies for a shot against North Central Dec. 9, 2023
Kodiak Creative
77
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 15-4,8-2 CCIW
94
Winner Millikin MIL-U 16-3,8-2 CCIW
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
15-4,8-2 CCIW
77
Final
94
Millikin MIL-U
16-3,8-2 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 14 26 16 21 77
Millikin MIL-U 17 24 34 19 94

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Titans Drop Top-25 Battle in Decatur

IWU hosts Augie Saturday, Jan. 27

DECATUR, Ill. - A slow start to the second half was too much to overcome Wednesday night, Jan. 24, as the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team fell at Millikin University, 94-77. With the loss, IWU (15-4, 8-2 CCIW) finds itself in a three-way tie atop the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standings alongside MU (16-3) and Carroll University. 

The Titans were led by four players in double figures. Sophomore Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) led the way with 18 points. Juniors Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) had 14 points, Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) finished with 12, and Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) added 10. Palmer led the Titans in rebounding with six boards, while junior Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) and Huber tied for the team-high in assists with three each. Sophomore Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) led the Titans in steals with four.

Illinois Wesleyan shot 26-of-71 from the floor, good for 36.6 percent, while Millikin went for a 52 percent (39-of-75) clip from the field. From the charity stripe, the Titans converted 20 of 25 tries, good for 80 percent, while the Big Blue shot 71.4 percent (10-of-14) from the free throw line. The Green and White were bested on the boards (48-32) and bench points (24-15). 

MU started the game with a 7-2 lead, but the Titans stormed back to gain an 8-7 advantage. It was back and forth for much of the first quarter, while a Big Blue buzzer-beating layup gave MU a slim, 17-14, lead into the second quarter. 

Millikin would extend its lead to 32-25 before a Bardic jumper, Knutson layup, and Palmer three-pointer tied it up at 32 all.

A 15-1 Titan run, capped off by a Bardic and-one and a Power's three-ball, near the end of second quarter put the Titans ahead 40-33. The Big Blue would end the first half on a 8-0 run of their own to take a 41-40 advantage heading into halftime.

A 10-0 MU run extended the Big Blue lead to 53-42 with 6:44 remaining in the third quarter. A Power's three brought the Titans within six of the lead, but the Big Blue would continue to extend their lead over the Green and White, ending the third quarter with a 75-56 advantage.

A Huber jumper and a Bardic and-one got the Green and White to a 15-point deficit early in the fourth quarter, but it was all Big Blue from there as the Green and White dropped the top-25 battle, 94-77.

Illinois Wesleyan returns home this weekend, Saturday, Jan. 20 for the annual PinkZone game against Augustana College. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m. inside the Shirk Center and will serve at the front half of a double dip with the Titan men's squad. 
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