Women’s Hoops Soars Past Bluejays

Five Titans finish with 10+ points

12/13/2025 4:23:00 PM

Box Score

ELMHURST, Ill. - A career day from freshman Rena Robinson (San Jose, Calif.-Archbishop Mitty) paired with another strong performance from senior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) propelled the 16th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team to an 81-59 win at Elmhurst University Saturday, Dec. 13.

Bardic went for a game-high 24 points, while four others joined her in double-figures. Freshman Asia Kobylarcyk (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) added 15 points while Robinson tallied a career-high 14 points. Senior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) and freshman Caitlin Leyden (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) finished with 11 points apiece.

Illinois Wesleyan shot 48.3 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from distance. The Titans converted 88.2 percent of their free throw tries. Elmhurst converted 46.2 percent of its shots, 35.7 percent of three-point attempts, 6-of-11 free throws (54.5 percent).

Tight defense saw the Bluejays carry an 8-6 edge into the game's first media timeout. A three-minute scoring drought allowed Elmhurst to build its lead to six, 15-9. Kobylarczyk cut the scoring run with an assist to Robinson to pull the Titans within four, 15-11, at the end of the first quarter.

Kobylarczyk dished out her second assist of the afternoon in the early goings of the second, as the freshman found Bardic for a bucket.

Scoring was hard to come by for both teams as neither team converted a field goal until White hit a layup with 5:33 on the clock.

The bucket paired with Bardic's free throw earlier in the period sparked a Titan run that saw Illinois Wesleyan grab its first lead of the day. A putback from White and a swipe and score from Bardic lifted IWU to a 20-19 advantage to force an Elmhurst timeout.

The Green and White held the Bluejays scoreless for more than five minutes, but could not capitalize offensively as the one-point edge held with three minutes left in the half.

EU broke through with a three-pointer with 2:29 to go in the half, but Robinson knocked down a jumper to respond and knot the score at 22 all into the break.

Illinois Wesleyan rallied behind its daunting defense and the hot hands of Robinson and Bardic out of the break. Turnovers by the Bluejays led to buckets by the Titans as Robinson free throws push the IWU lead to double digits, 51-41, late in the third quarter.

Owning a 51-43 advantage with 10 minutes to play, the Green and White's depth maintained the double-digit lead.

The Green and White held control throughout the final 10 minutes, expanding its lead to as many as 22 before wrapping up an 81-59 win.

The Titans travel back to the Windy City Tuesday night, Dec. 16 for a bout with University of Chicago. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. at the Ratner Athletic Complex.

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