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Titans celebrate after defeating Trinity in OT (Dec. 27, 2024)
Peyton Thibault (Trinity Texas)
94
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 11-0,3-0 CCIW
91
Trinity (TX) TrinTX 5-3,1-0 SCAC
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
11-0,3-0 CCIW
94
Final
91
Trinity (TX) TrinTX
5-3,1-0 SCAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 OT 1 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20 9 21 35 9 94
Trinity (TX) TrinTX 14 24 23 24 6 91

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Erases 15-Point Deficit to Defeat Trinity in OT

Titans remain unbeaten at 11-0 on the year

SAN ANTONIO - A 35-point fourth quarter by the third-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team forced overtime against Trinity University (Texas) at Calgaard Gymnasium Friday night, Dec. 27. In the extra period, junior Sara Balli (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) connected on a putback and senior Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) hit a free throw to lift the Titans (11-0) to a 94-91 win over the Tigers (5-3).

Junior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) led the Green and White with 19 points, 13 of which came in the second half, while senior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) and Balli scored 18 points apiece. Balli tied a career-high in points, on 7-of-12 shooting, while adding nine rebounds. Palmer scored 13 points, hitting 1000 points for her career with her late-game free throw, while seniors Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) and Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) scored 12 points each. Powers completed a double-double with a team-leading 10 rebounds.

Illinois Wesleyan, which led by as many as nine in the first period, trailed by 15 points with less than seven minutes left in the third quarter. Huber broke a 10-2 Trinity run with a jumper at the 6:33 mark off a Palmer assist and Balli followed with a putback to cut the deficit to 48-37.

Catching fire, Balli completed a three-point play on the next possession before the Tigers carried an 11-point lead, 61-50, into the fourth quarter.

The Titans found their footing offensively in the final 10 minutes, connecting on 12-of-17 shot attempts and 6-of-9 three-point tries. A steal by Powers paid off in a transition by Knutson on a slick pass from Bardic. Defense continued to fuel the comeback as Palmer went for a swipe and score to trim the lead to seven, 61-54, less than a minute in. 

Nine points from Powers, first an and-one and then back-to-back three-pointers, pulled IWU within one, 66-65. The Amboy, Ill. native was fouled on her second trey and drained the free throw to tie the score with 6:33 left in regulation.

The Tigers reclaimed the lead and pushed it to as high as an eight-point cushion, but Knutson's free throw at the 2:05 mark kicked off a six-point Titan run. Balli found Bardic for a triple and Bardic swiped the ball on the next possession to set up a Balli three-ball, making it a one-possession game, 80-77, with 1:43 on the clock.

Trinity split a pair off the free throw line to push ahead, 81-77, but Palmer dished to Bardic for a triple on back-to-back offensive sets to knot the score, 83-83. 

The Tigers hit a jumper with 23 seconds left, but Huber converted a reverse layup to even the game at 85 and force overtime. 

In the bonus period, IWU never trailed. The Green and White went right back to Huber to stake an 87-85 lead, before Balli and Palmer put the Titans up three with 3:32 to play.

Free throws proved to be Trinity's main source of offense in OT as four freebies tied the game one last time, 91-91. Balli pulled in an offensive rebound and put it up for two as IWU held a 93-91 edge. Palmer put the game on ice with a free throw with 16 seconds left and Balli blocked a game-tying attempt from the Tigers to give the Titans the three-point win.

Illinois Wesleyan is right back at it tomorrow, Dec. 28, for a bout with East Texas Baptist University. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. inside Trinity's Calgaard Gymnasium.

 
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