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Caite Knutson & Mallory Powers celebrate
© AshtinElder
57
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 9-9,4-5 CCIW
93
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 18-0,9-0 CCIW
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL
9-9,4-5 CCIW
57
Final
93
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
18-0,9-0 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 15 11 11 20 57
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 27 23 21 22 93

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Puts on A Show in Win Over Wheaton

Titans move to 18-0, 9-0 in league play

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team made its annual PinkZone game a memorable one Saturday afternoon, Jan. 25, as the Titans rolled past Wheaton College, 93-57, inside the Shirk Center. IWU ran its record to 18-0, 9-0 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, with the win and matched its best start since 2009-10. Wheaton stumbled to 9-9 (4-5 CCIW) with the loss.

A 23-3 run over seven minutes in the second quarter pushed the Titans ahead big as IWU seized control and never looked back. Senior Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) kicked it off with a three-pointer, her third of the day, as Illinois Wesleyan took a 32-22 lead into a timeout with 7:09 to play in the second quarter.

Junior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) later found junior Sara Balli (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) for a corner three-ball and Powers heaved a half-court pass ahead to junior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) for a fastbreak bucket. White's layup stretched the IWU lead to 43-22, forcing a Wheaton timeout with 2:55 to go in the half.

Senior Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) hit back-to-back buckets and the Titan defense forced a 10-second violation to keep momentum fully in favor of the Green and White. Illinois Wesleyan's first-half scoring came to a close as senior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) hit Bardic for an and-one on a backdoor pass as IWU carried a 50-26 lead into the break.

The Green and White showed no signs of slowing down in the second half as Bardic and Powers continued to pour in three-pointers. 

Junior Martha Lipic's (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) four-point spurt extended the Titans' stronghold, 71-37, into the final quarter. 

In the fourth, the Green and White's depth took control. A three-pointer by freshman Luigi Lam (Kowloon, Hong Kong-Wa Ying College) was followed by a crafty finish at the rim by fellow rookie Alyssa Epps (Berkeley, Ill.-Montini Catholic). Lam then found sophomore Liv Meyers (Elmwood, Ill.-Elmwood) for a bucket, before Meyers sank a turnaround jumper off the assist from junior Payton Jacob (St. Joseph, Ill.-St. Joseph-Ogden). The four-point run by Meyers pushed IWU ahead, 86-51, into the game's final media timeout. 

Lam drilled another three-ball and then Lipic showed off her passing prowess with a pair of assists to finish off the convincing win.

Four double-digit scorers led an efficient IWU offense that saw 12 different players score. Bardic led the way with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and rounded out her stat line with four boards, five assists, and a team-high four steals. Powers followed with 17 points, aided by five three-pointers, and tacked on six rebounds and a team-leading seven assists.

Huber and Knutson added 12 and 10 points, respectively, with Huber hauling in a team-high eight rebounds. 

Overall, the Green and White shot 53.7 percent from the floor (36-of-67) and knocked down 12 three-pointers on 27 tries (44.4 percent). IWU went 9-for-11 at the charity stripe. Wheaton's offense was kept off-balance for most of the game, but a flurry of three-pointers saw the Thunder shoot 19-for-58 (32.8 percent). Wheaton finished 9-for-24 from beyond the arc, hitting five three-balls in the first quarter before cooling off. WC went a perfect 10-for-10 in free throws.

The Titans finished with a 38-32 edge in rebounding, as Huber's eight caroms were a game-high. Powers followed with six, while Knutson and Bardic tallied four apiece. IWU won the turnover battle, 26-15, as WC's miscues made way for a 34-12 advantage in points off turnovers. Illinois Wesleyan also notched leads in points in the paint (42-16), second-chance scoring (16-12), fastbreak scoring (18-4), and bench scoring (36-20). 

Illinois Wesleyan will now enjoy its second bye of the season before returning to the hardwood next Saturday, Feb. 1, at Elmhurst University. Tipoff between the Titans and Bluejays is set for 2 p.m. and will serve as the front end of a doubleheader with the IWU men's basketball team at R.A. Faganel Hall. 


 

 
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