Skip To Main Content
Skip To Main Content
Sawyer White driving towards the basket vs. Chicago
Ashtin Elder
52
UChicago UC 8-1,0-0 UAA
71
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-0,3-0 CCIW
UChicago UC
8-1,0-0 UAA
52
Final
71
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-0,3-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
UChicago UC 9 11 13 19 52
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 14 16 24 17 71

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Knocks Off No. 18 Chicago

White records 200th career steal

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Junior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) eclipsed 200 career steals as the third-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team downed No. 18 University of Chicago, 71-52, inside the Shirk Center Tuesday night, Dec. 17. With the top-25 win, their fourth nationally-ranked win of the season, the Titans ran their record to 10-0 on the season, while handing the Maroons (8-1) their first loss.

The game marked the return of Michelle Gardner-Bilek, a key member of the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship team, in her first trip back to the Shirk Center as head coach of the Maroons.

Illinois Wesleyan had three Titans in double-digit points as Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) led the way with 21 points while Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) had 16 and Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) had 14. White filled up the box score with six points, six rebounds, five assists, four steals, and two blocks. 

Huber was IWU's top rebounder with eight boards with White leading the team in assists, steals, and blocks.

The Green and White finished 26-for-63 from the field (41.3 percent), despite going just 5-for-22 from three-point range. Bardic was a bright spot from beyond the arc, hitting 4-of-7 attempts. Illinois Wesleyan capitalized on its trips to the free throw line, knocking down 14-of-16 tries. Chicago was limited to 18-of-51 shooting overall (35.3 percent) and 6-of-18 from three-point range (33.3 percent). UC converted all 10 of its free throw attempts. 

The Titans forced the Maroons into 23 miscues, fueling a 30-9 lead in points off turnovers for the home team. IWU also led in points in the paint (40-22), second-chance scoring (12-8), and fastbreak scoring (14-4). Chicago held a 30-16 advantage in bench scoring.

Huber shouldered the offensive production early on, scoring six of IWU's first eight points to give the Titans an 8-2 lead. Palmer's layup maintained the six-point advantage into the game's first media timeout. 

Junior Laura Mahlum (Barrington, Ill.-Barrington) hit a pair of free throws and White converted a layup after the defense forced a shot clock violation to stretch the lead to double-digits, 14-4.

Leading 14-9 into the second quarter, Bardic provided a spark for the Titan offense. Senior Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) knocked down a shot off a Bardic assist before the junior guard hit Palmer for a three-ball. Bardic added a stepback three-pointer with the shot clock winding down to force a timeout by UC with IWU leading, 22-13, with 5:43 left in the period.

White's steal made way for a Bardic triple to push the margin to 11 as IWU ultimately carried a 30-20 lead into half.

The Green and White used a strong third quarter, including an 11-0 run aided by a tenacious defensive effort, to stretch its lead to 54-33 with 10 minutes to play and never looked back.

Illinois Wesleyan takes some time off before getting in two more games ahead of the new year at the Trinity Texas Tournament, Dec. 27-28. The Titans will take on tournament host, Trinity Texas Friday, Dec. 27, at 6 p.m. before squaring off with East Texas Baptist University Saturday, Dec. 28.

 


 
Print Friendly Version