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Kate Palmer squaring up to shoot at NCC
Kodiak Creative
98
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 12-2,5-0 CCIW
59
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 8-6,3-2 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
12-2,5-0 CCIW
98
Final
59
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
8-6,3-2 CCIW
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 34 27 24 13 98
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 15 18 14 12 59

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

No. 13 Titans Roll Past Augie on the Road

All five starters score in double figures

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. - A masterful first half powered the 13th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team to a, 98-59, College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory over Augustana College Sunday, Jan. 7 at Carver Arena. The Titans rolled to a 61-33 lead at halftime and never looked back to move to 12-2 on the season and 5-0 in the CCIW. Augustana dipped to 8-6 overall and 3-2 in league play.

Illinois Wesleyan saw all five starters reach double figures in the win. Junior Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) led the way with a game-high 17 points, while she also finished as the team leader with eight rebounds and six assists. Sophomore Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) totaled 16 points, including four three-pointers, while Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) added 15 points. Sophomore Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) and junior Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) tallied 14 points apiece, while White tacked on a game-high six steals and three assists.

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan shot 47.9 percent from the floor (35-for-73) and hit a whopping 13 of 32 three-pointers (40.6 percent). IWU finished the day 15-for-17 at the charity stripe. A strong offensive effort in the third quarter helped lift Augie to a 44.4 field goal percentage, but the Vikings went just 5-for-17 from three-point range. Augstana converted 6-of-9 free throw chances.

IWU was dominant from start to finish, leading to advantages in points off turnovers (33-7), second chance points (12-4), bench scoring (22-17), points in the paint (42-30), and fast break scoring (22-0). The Titans forced 26 turnovers, aided by 18 steals, and finished with 22 assists to nine miscues themselves. 

The Green and White used its defense to distance itself early. After Powers found Knutson for a layup, Powers picked off a pass which led to a bucket from Bardic. Leading 12-8, Illinois Wesleyan went on a 15-3 run over the next three and a half minutes to break things open. A three-point play from Knutson put the Titans ahead, 17-11, at the game's first media timeout, before Palmer's steal made way for a Bardic three-ball. The run continued with baskets by White and Powers as the lead hit double digits. 

Returning to action for the first time since IWU's league opener on Nov. 29, junior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) made an immediate impact. After tracking down an offensive rebound, Huber kicked out to Powers for a three-pointer from the top of the key to stretch the advantage to 27-11 with 2:48 left in the first quarter.

A buzzer-beating putback from Augustana cut IWU's advantage to 34-15 after 10 minutes of play. The Titans converted 13-of-20 shots in the opening period, including 4-of-5 three-point tries. 

The second quarter featured much of the same, as Illinois Wesleyan remained red hot from the floor to take a 61-33 lead into halftime.

The Titans rolled in the second half, stretching their lead to as many as 43 in the final stanza. Senior Launi Chanthaboury (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) drilled a three-ball off an assist from fifth-year Megan Moody (Gibson City, Ill.-Gibson City/Melvin-Sibley), which proved to be the start of a nine-point run by IWU. After a pull-up jumper from Chanthaboury, freshman Ellie Cahill (Goodfield, Ill.-Eureka) hit a putback and sophomore Martha Lipic (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) added a layup to give IWU a 96-53 stronghold with just over two minutes left to play.

Senior Taylor Tarver (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) closed out Illinois Wesleyan's portion of the scoring with a tough layup as the Green and White closed out a 98-57 victory.

The Titans wrap up their lengthy roadtrip Wednesday, Jan. 10, with a game at North Park University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.


 
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