GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Hannah Considine (LEFT) and Katie McDaniels (RIGHT) each scored 19 points to lead Wheaton.
Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton women's basketball team defeated Whittier College 95-54 on Friday night in the opening night of the Beth Baker Classic. Wheaton improves to 3-1 on the year and Whittier is 0-3.
Buena Vista College defeated Saint Mary's (Ind.) 87-83 in tonight's opening game. Buena Vista will face Whittier at 2 PM on Saturday and Wheaton takes on Saint Mary's at 4 PM in the final day of the tournament.
Freshman guard
Katie McDaniels and sophomore
Hannah Considine each led Wheaton with 19 points. McDaniels scored 13 of her points at the free throw line and she also grabbed nine rebounds, with three assists. Considine shot 7-of-10 from the field.
Maris Hovee collected a game-high 10 rebounds and scored seven points, with five assists and four steals.
Lauren Graham (PICTURED LEFT) scored 13 points, with five rebounds. Freshman
Chantal Meacham tallied nine points, with six assists.
Ellie Zeller scored seven points, with four assists.
Dannika Navales-Lugu and Ashley Genie each scored a team-high eight points for Whittier. Danielle Hays contributed seven points for the Poets. Kaylah Alexander and Margo Campos each scored six points.
Wheaton shot 57.6% (34-59) from the field, including 37.5% (3-8) from three-point range and 66.7% (24-36. Whittier posted a 29% (18-62) field goal percentage, with 17.4% (4-23) from three-point range and 58.3% (14-24) at the charity stripe. Wheaton out-rebounded the Poets 51-31, with each team collecting 15 offensive boards.
Whittier took an early 7-4 lead in the first three-and-a-half minutes of play. However, the Thunder responded with a 19-7 scoring surge to take a 23-14 lead with 10 minutes left in the first half. The Thunder led 46-30 at halftime. The hosts led by double digits for the entire second half. Wheaton's largest lead of the game was a 43-point bulge at 95-52 with 58-seconds remaining in regulation.
