WAUKESHA, Wis. - A slow start plagued the 13th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team in a 68-48 defeat at No. 20 Carroll University. The loss slides IWU to 13-5 on the season and 8-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action, while CU climbs to 14-4 (8-1 CCIW).

Freshman Asia Kobylarczyk (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) was the Titans' leading scorer with 15 points and served as a bright spot in a tough shooting performance by IWU. Illinois Wesleyan connected on just 29.4 percent from the field (20-of-68) as a team, while Kobylarczyk finished the afternoon 5-of-11. Fellow freshman Caitlin Leyden (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) and senior Ava Bardic (Lincolnshire, Ill.-Stevenson) added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Senior Sawyer White (Downers Grove, Ill.-Montini Catholic) posted a team-highs of six rebounds, five assists, and two blocks, while Bardic's four steals led the team.

Offense did not come easy for the Green and White in the opening half as Carroll pushed ahead by as many as 11  over the first 20 minutes. 

Trailing 25-14 with 5:45 to play, White found Kobylarczyk cutting across the lane for a bucket. The layup turned the tide as the Titans put together a 10-4 run over the next four minutes. Kobylarczyk scored seven points over the stretch, working the post for a bucket before kissing a three-ball off the glass on an assist from freshman Rena Robinson (San Jose, Calif.-Archbishop Mitty). Senior Sara Balli (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) completed the run with a triple off another dime from Robinson as IWU capitalized on a steal from Leyden.

The Green and White turned the ball over the next two times down the floor, halting the run as free throws pushed CU's advantage to seven, 31-24.

Illinois Wesleyan saw the deficit return to double-digits as Carroll scored the first seven points out of the intermission. With the Titans trail, 38-26, head coach Mia Smith called a timeout with 6:43 on the clock. 

Carroll piled on a three-pointer to jump its lead to 15. Kobylarczyk answered with a long two from the wing to end the 10-point run, but CU maintained a 41-28 advantage into the under-five media.

The Titans entered the final period staring down a 50-34 deficit and trimmed it down to single digits with a quick spurt led by Bardic. 

Despite pulling within as many as nine, Carroll seemingly had a three-point answer each time IWU mounted a run to snap the Titans' win streak at five.

Illinois Wesleyan polishes off a four-game road stint Wednesday night, Jan. 28, with a short jaunt to the Griswold Center. Game time versus Millikin University is set for 7 p.m. in Decatur, Ill.