The Wheaton women’s basketball team continues to prove to the conference and the rest of the NCAA Division III teams that they are a force to be reckoned with. After defeating the then-CCIW-undefeated Illinois Wesleyan University Titans, the Thunder extend the win streak to twelve games.
Wheaton played Elmhurst College on Saturday, Feb. 3, and they won 70-58. From the start of the game, Wheaton controlled the court. The Thunder outscored the Bluejays 16-8 in the first quarter. The Wheaton defense made a big statement by holding them to under ten points in the first 10 minutes of the game.
In the second quarter, Elmhurst made a surge to get back into the game, but Wheaton’s offense maintained their lead. After that, the rest is almost like a formula. The Thunder boomed onto the court in the third quarter to extend their lead, and they closed the game well to finish off regulation with a 12 point lead.
Going into last night’s critical conference matchup against IWU, the Titans were undefeated within the CCIW, trying to extend a 16-game win streak and had an over record of 18-2. However, the Thunder emerged victorious with a final score of 71-61.
The first quarter was very back-and-forth, but Wheaton got a few three-pointers to go through the net when IWU could not get their offense going. Once again, sophomore Hannah Frazier played physically in the paint and was able to get good layups despite being double- or triple-teamed at points.
The second quarter was the most offensively successful quarter for both teams, Wheaton outscoring IWU 28-22. Each time that IWU scored, the Thunder had an answer. When the Thunder needed a stop, they would get a defensive rebound.
The third quarter was when Wheaton’s defense put on a show, holding the then 14th-ranked team in the NCAA Division III to only nine points. This was mainly due to strong defensive performances by junior Devin Kyler and sophomore Jill Berg. Berg had six blocks throughout the game.
IWU was able to outscore Wheaton in the fourth quarter 17-14, but the Thunder’s lead was too much for the Titans to overcome. Wheaton was able to finish with a double-digit lead and a final score of 71-61, thus ending IWU’s win streak and breaking their undefeated conference record.
The Wheaton Women’s Basketball team will travel to North Park University for a CCIW game at 5 p.m.