CHARLESTON, Ill. - The 20th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team gave NCAA Division I Eastern Illinois University all it could handle in an exhibition game Tuesday night, Oct. 27. The Titans led early and often but ultimately dropped the contest, 76-69.

Illinois Wesleyan and EIU took some time to find their offensive footing, but two quick defensive rebounds by junior Alyssa Epps (Berkeley, Ill.-Montini Catholic) kept the Panthers quiet. Using their quickness on the second of her two boards, the Titans moved down court where junior Leah Palmer (Geneva, Ill.-Geneva) dished to junior-transfer Olivia Corson (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) for a three-pointer. 

A swipe and score followed by two free throws gave EIU its first lead of the day, 4-3. The Green and White responded with a timely defensive play by sophomore Rena Robinson (San Jose, Calif.-Archbishop Mitty). Swiping the ball from the Panthers, Robinson hit Palmer for a hook shot. Palmer tacked on another bucket the next trip down the floor, this time putting back an offensive rebound, to knot the score, 7-7. Palmer capped a five-point spurt with a three-pointer off an Epps assist to take the lead into the game's first media timeout.

The Panthers put together a run of their own to charge ahead, but the Titans closed the first quarter with a three-pointer from freshman Emily Currey (Park Ridge, Ill.-Maine South) and a Palmer putback to stay in front, 17-15, after 10 minutes.

In the second period, EIU outscored IWU by four, but buckets by Palmer and Robinson, along with free throws by freshman Layne Nordstrom (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich) leveled the score at 25 all. The Panthers led 32-28 with a minute to go in the half, but sophomore Kaidyn King (North Aurora, Ill.-Batavia) hit freshman Bri Harms (Roanoke, Ill.-Roanoke Benson) for a layup to make it a one-score game at the break.

Eastern Illinois came out strong in the third, but Illinois Wesleyan was relentless battling back time and time again to keep things tight. The Panthers stretched their lead to double digits late but an offensive rebound by Palmer paid off with a Corson three-ball. The Bloomington, Ill. native tacked on two free throws a few ticks later to cut the deficit in half, 74-69, but the rally ended there.

The Titans officially open the season Friday, Nov. 6, against Ohio Wesleyan University as part of the Hope Tipoff Tournament in Holland, Mich.