GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Ellie Zeller led Wheaton in scoring for the eighth consecutive game with a team-best 20 points.
Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder women's basketball team rallied late in the game to earn a 57-56 victory against Elmhurst College (11-8/ 3-5 CCIW) on Wednesday night inside Wheaton's King Arena. Wheaton, 14-4 on the season with a 5-3 conference record, will travel to Augustana on Saturday night for a 5 PM tipoff.
Wheaton jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the first six minutes of tonight's matchup with the Bluejays. The Thunder led by as many as 10 points in the first half, holding a 22-12 lead with 4:15 remaining before halftime. However, Elmhurst out-scored the Thunder 10-1 in the final four minutes of the first half as Wheaton held a narrow 23-22 lead at halftime.
The two squads exchanged the lead seven times in the second half and were tied on seven occasions. Elmhurst's largest lead of the game was a six-point bulge at 52-46 with 5:55 remaining in regulation. A basket by Thunder senior
Maris Hovee with 5:35 left in the game trimmed the Bluejays' lead to 52-48. Hovee's basket was the beginning of a 7-0 run for the Thunder. The run continued with a pair of free throws by
Hannah Considine (PICTURED LEFT) and then a conventional three-point play by Considine with 3:30 remaining to conclude the scoring run and give Wheaton a 53-52 lead.
Elmhurst quickly regained the lead on a Melanie Schwerdtmann basket with 3:13 remaining to give the guests a 54-53 lead. Considine extended a string of seven consecutive points by tallying a field goal with 2:30 left in regulation to give the Thunder a 55-54 lead. Over the next minute and 30 second, the Bluejays missed a pair of free throw attempts and three field goals, with the final missed field goal being rebounded by Considine to give the Thunder the ball. On the ensuing possession, freshman
Katie McDaniels (PICTURED RIGHT) dished the ball to sophomore
Ellie Zeller. Zeller calmly made a key basket, with just 11-seconds remaining, to give the Thunder the 57-54 lead. A three-point attempt by the Bluejays in the closing seconds fell short and into the arms of Elmhurst's Fiona McMahon who had a put-back basket to account for the 57-56 final score.
Zeller continued her strong play with a game-high 20 points and three steals. Zeller has led Wheaton in scoring over the team's last eight games and she has scored 17 or more points in each of those contests.
McDaniels scored 11 points, with eight rebounds, five assists and three steals. Considine score nine points, with three blocked shots. She scored seven of her nine points in the final four-and-a-half minutes of regulation to help Wheaton secure the win.
Hovee (PICTURED LEFT) tied her career-high with seven blocked shots in the contest. She also collected nine rebounds, with six points and two steals.
Moriah Reeves scored eight points to aid the Thunder effort. Wheaton posted a 42.3% (22-52) field goal percentage, shooting 0-for-8 from three-point range and 76.5% (13-17) at the free throw line.
Melanie Schwerdtmann led Elmhurst with 14 points and 10 rebounds off of the Bluejays' bench. McMahon scored 10 points, with five rebounds. Kim Schwerdtmann scored nine points and Katie Swanson contributed eight points for the guests. Elmhurst shot 36.7% (22-60) from the floor, including 50% (6-12) behind the three-point arc and 76.5% (13-17) at the charity stripe. Elmhurst out-rebounded the Thunder 39-34. The Bluejays held a 17-12 advantage on the offensive glass that helped the guests out-score the Thunder 21-2 in second-chance points.
