BOXSCORE

Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton women's basketball team survived a strong second-half rally by Millikin (12-11/6-6 CCIW) to earn a 72-70 victory in King Arena on Tuesday night. Wheaton is now 14-9 overall, with a 9-3 record in CCIW play and has secured a spot in the four-team CCIW Tournament that will be held February 27-28 in Bloomington. The winner of the CCIW Tournament will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

Tonight's game was a "Pink Zone" event, benefitting the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's Kay Yow Cancer Fund.

Wheaton controlled the first half, jumping out to a 24-9 lead with 11:15 remaining in the first half. The Thunder led by as many as 22 points in the first half and held a 47-28 lead at halftime.

Wheaton led the Big Blue 55-34 with 12:42 remaining in the second half when the guests put together a 26-5 run to tie the game at 60-60 with 5:38 remaining in the contest. The two teams battled back and forth for the remainder of the game. Thunder senior Jamie Jones broke a 66-66 tie with 48-seconds remaining in regulation when she made a 15-foot jumper to give the Thunder a 68-66 lead. On Millikin's next trip down the court, the Big Blue missed a shot and Wheaton senior Lynnea Kvam collected the defensive rebound and was fouled Kvam made both free throws to extend Wheaton's lead to 70-66 with 37-seconds remaining. Millikin's Tracie Yantis scored with 23-seconds remaining to cut the Thunder lead to 70-68.

Millikin then promptly fouled the Thunder and after Wheaton missed the first free throw of a one-and-one, Millikin collected the rebound and moved down the court. Three Big Blue shot attempts that would have tied the game bounced off the rim and with 8.5-seconds Wheaton's Annie Bowen grabbed the defensive rebound and was immediately fouled. Bowen made both free throws to five Wheaton a 72-68 lead. Millikin scored a layup as time expired to account for the 72-70 final score.

Jones led the Thunder with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting from the field. Freshman Laura Karsten scored 12 points and Whitney Edgecombe tallied 10 points, with five rebounds. Freshman Lindsey Brenneman scored nine points. Kvam and Kathleen Fidelia each scored eight points and Fidelia collected five rebounds and five assists.

Kayla Pembrook led Millikin with 14 points and eight rebounds. Whitney Schwartz scored 12 points. Crystal Zeigler and Elise Wildman each scored 10 points and Wildman collected seven rebounds. Yantis grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, with eight assists and seven points.

Wheaton shot 37.9% (22-58) from the field, with 35.7% (10-28) from three point range and 75% (18-24) at the free throw line. The Big Blue posted a 46.2% (24-52) field goal percentage, with 52.6% (10-19) from behind the three-point arc and 66.7% (12-18) at the free throw line. Millikin out-rebounded the Thunder 41-30, with an 11-10 edge on the offensive glass.

Wheaton will travel to Carthage (16-7/8-4) for a key CCIW game on Saturday at 2 PM. Saturday's game will be broadcast on WETN radio at 88.1 FM in the Wheaton area and on the internet at www.wetn.org, with live in-game statistics courtesy of Carthage College athletics.