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Wheaton, IL - January 04 - NCAA Basketball - #3 Illinois Wesleyan at Wheaton (Photo by Jimmy Naprstek/Kodiak Creative)
Kodiak Creative
81
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20-1,11-1 CCIW
87
Winner Carthage CARTH 16-6,8-5 CCIW
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
20-1,11-1 CCIW
81
Final
87
Carthage CARTH
16-6,8-5 CCIW
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 17 15 24 25 81
Carthage CARTH 19 15 20 33 87

Game Recap: Women's Basketball |

Women’s Hoops Handed First Loss of the Season

Titans 20-game win streak snapped

KENOSHA, Wis. - The second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team was sacked with its first loss of the season at Tarble Arena Saturday afternoon, Feb. 8. The Titans fell at Carthage College by a score of 87-81 as IWU's record dropped to 20-1 overall and 11-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. The Firebirds upped their record to 16-6 on the year and 8-5 in league play.

Senior Lauren Huber (Lombard, Ill.-Glenbard East) posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds, and moved into second on IWU's all-time scoring list. Seniors Caite Knutson (Maryville, Ill.-Collinsville) and Mallory Powers (Amboy, Ill.-Amboy) added 14 points each. Powers tacked on seven boards and two steals. Junior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) rounded out double-digit scorers with 11 points.

Illinois Wesleyan had a slow shooting day, connecting on just 41.9 percent of its shot attempts (26-of-62). IWU converted 5-of-21 three-point tries, but turned in an impressive 24-for-29 effort at the free throw line (82.8 percent). Carthage fared much better on its home floor, knocking down 32-of-61 shot attempts overall (52.5 percent) and 9-of-20 three-point tries (45 percent). The Firebirds finished just 14-of-22 at the free throw line.

Rebounding was key in the game, as Carthage used a 39-32 advantage on the glass to collect a 17-11 lead in second-chance scoring. The Firebirds also held the edge in the paint, 40-38. The Titans finished with leads in points off turnovers (11-10) and fastbreak scoring (20-5).

The play of Knutson and Huber powered the Titans in the opening half as the duo combined for 20 of IWU's 32 points. A pair of free throws from Huber began the scoring just about a minute in, but the Firebirds hit back-to-back three-pointers to stake a four-point lead. 

After a Huber bucket, Bardic rushed down the court and found Knutson to tie the game, 6-6, but IWU trailed 14-10 at the first media timeout.

Junior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) came out of the reset with a steal and quickly turned it into points, but the Firebirds came back with another three-ball. Three free throws over two separate trips to the charity stripe cut the deficit two two, 17-15. Huber pulled in an offensive rebound and sank the putback to keep Illinois Wesleyan within a bucket, 19-17, into the second quarter.

Carthage boosted its lead to as many as eight over the next 10 minutes, but the Green and White closed the period strong to keep the Firebird advantage at two, 34-32, into the break. Trailing 31-23, Huber hit another putback and freshman Luigi Lam (Kowloon, Hong Kong-Wa Ying College) delivered a good entry pass for a bucket from Knutson in the post. 

IWU closed the half on a five-point run that featured a pull-up from Huber and a much-needed three-pointer from Powers.

The Titans batted back to tie the game at 45 all at the under-five media timeout in the third. A free throw from junior Sara Balli (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) gave IWU its first lead since the opening bucket, 46-45. Senior Kate Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) swiped the ball on the defensive end and fed Balli for a triple to stretch the lead to four. 

A Powers' three-ball later put the Titans up five, before White hit Balli for a bucket in transition. The layup gave IWU its largest cushion of the day, 54-47, with 3:08 left in the period, but Carthage finished the period with nine unanswered points. A putback trickled around the rim and fell in at the buzzer as the Firebirds led 56-54 into the final quarter.

An and-one from Huber pushed the Green and White ahead, 68-66, but Carthage utilized its own and-one to take a 69-68 lead. Illinois Wesleyan never regained the lead as a 7-2 run upped the deficit to six, 76-70, with 2:10 to go. 

The Titans made a late push, aided by free throw misses by the Firebirds, but came up short, 87-81.

Illinois Wesleyan will look to bounce back at home this Wednesday, Feb. 12, as the Titans play host to North Park University.


 
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