Ava Bardic shoots a three against Millikin Jan. 14. 2026

ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO

Women’s Hoops Dismantles Big Blue

Bardic drops career-high 30 points

1/14/2026 9:16:00 PM

Box Score BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 16 Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team outscored Millikin University by 22 points in the second half to remain perfect in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, moving past the Big Blue 76-48 inside the Shirk Center Wednesday night, Jan.14. The Green and White move to 11-4 on the season and a perfect 6-0 in league play, while Millikin falls to 6-10 overall and 1-6 in CCIW contests.

Senior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) carried the Titan offense, scoring a career-high 30 points on the evening. She added a team-best five assists and three steals. Freshman Asia Kobylarczyk (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) scored 12 of her total 18 points in the fourth quarter on a 7-of-10 shooting performance. Senior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) added 11 points and five steals.

Freshman Caitlin Leyden (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) led IWU in steals and rebounds, with six and nine, respectively. The stingy Titan defense forced 30 turnovers, leading to a 31-5 advantage in points off of miscues. On the other end of the floor, the IWU offense shot 29-of-70 from the floor and 10-of-24 from beyond the arc.

Bardic scored the Titans' first seven points on a pair of tough layups and a step-back three pointer. The Big Blue stuck around in the first quarter, responding with seven points of their own. Illinois Wesleyan scored the next seven points of the quarter, including a bucket from redshirt freshman Leah Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva), but the first quarter ended with a slim 14-11 IWU advantage.

Leyden intercepted a pass to set up IWU's offense to start the second period, which led to a White three-pointer off a dish from senior Martha Lipic (Oak Park, Ill.-Oak Park River Forest) to make the score 17-11. Millikin continued to battle back, deadlocking the game at 26. Three straight backdoor layups off the hand of Bardic, the final two off great assists from Leyden to go into the halftime break with a 32-26.

The Titans carried their momentum from the end of the first half into the second, as a Bardic steal led to an easy lay-in for Kobylarczyk. Moments later, a three off the hands of freshman Rena Robinson (San Diego, Calif.-Archbishop Mitty) pushed the Green and White advantage to double digits, 37-26, just a minute into the second half. Later in the third quarter, Bardic bulldozed through two defenders for a tough layup. On the next possession, Bardic found Robinson under the hoop for an easy two to make it 45-34 in favor of IWU.

The Illinois Wesleyan offense exploded in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Big Blue 26-8 in the final 10 minutes to secure the lopsided victory.

The Titans get back on the road Saturday, Jan. 17 for an evening CCIW contest with Wheaton College. Tipoff inside King Arena is set for 5 p.m. and will serve as the front half of a double feature with the Green and White men's squad.

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