BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 12th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team rode a hot start to a 77-51 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Semifinal win over fifth-seeded Augustana College Thursday night, Feb. 22, inside the Shirk Center. With the victory, IWU (22-4) advances to the CCIW Tournament Championship, where the Titans will face second-seeded Carroll University. Augie closes out its season with a 12-14 overall record.
Sophomore Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) and junior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard North) led a balanced scoresheet for the Titans, as they tied for the team lead with 14 points apiece. Junior Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) added 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, while sophomore Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) went for 11 points, seven steals, and four assists. Sophomore Sara Balli (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) and junior Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) scored nine points each, while also tying for the team-high with six rebounds apiece.
The Green and White finished the game 24-for-61 from the floor, 13-for-36 from three-point range, and 16-for-19 from the free throw line. The Vikings went 21-for-44 from the field, but just 2-for-12 from long range, and hit 7-of-16 free throw attempts.
IWU turned Augie over 34 times, which led to a 47-7 stronghold in points off miscues. The Green and White snatched 21 steals, led by White with seven. The Vikings won the rebounding battle, 39-27, and mustered a 13-9 lead in second chance scoring.
Illinois Wesleyan's defense was firing on all cylinders as the Titans forced 14 first-quarter turnovers by the Vikings. White captained the tenacious defensive start, picking up five steals in the first 10 minutes.
Back-to-back three-pointers from Bardic on assists from Palmer and Huber got the Green and White out to an 11-4 lead as Augie called a timeout with 6:39 on the clock.
A five-point spurt from Balli stretched the lead to nine, before five points from Bardic and a three-ball from Palmer gave IWU a 31-12 lead into the second period. Illinois Wesleyan went 10-for-19 in the quarter and an astonishing 7-for-13 from beyond the arc.
The Titans stretched their advantage to as many as 30 in the second quarter as free throws from senior Taylor Tarver (Oswego, Ill.-Oswego) pushed IWU ahead, 46-16.
Augustana cut into the Illinois Wesleyan lead out of halftime, going 7-for-13 from the field in the third period. The Vikings edged the Titans, 16-12, over the 10-minute span, but the Green and White carried a 58-39 lead into the final stanza.
Illinois Wesleyan will take on second-seeded Carroll inside the Shirk Center Saturday, Feb. 24, at 3:30 p.m.
