GAME STATS PICTURED ABOVE: Ellie Zeller (LEFT) led the Thunder with 22 points and Katie McDaniels (RIGHT) contributed 17 points. 

Decatur, Ill. - The #15-ranked Wheaton women's basketball team opened conference play on Saturday with a 71-60 victory at Millikin (6-6/0-1 CCIW). Wheaton has now won nine consecutive games and is 10-1 on the season with a 1-0 record in conference play. The Thunder will travel to Elmhurst on January 8 for a 7 PM tipoff with the Bluejays.

Sophomore Ellie Zeller led the Thunder with 22 points on 9-for-12 shooting from the field. The Thunder guard also added six rebounds, three assists and two steals. Freshman Katie McDaniels scored 17 points and senior Maria Panaggio (PICTURED LEFT) contributed 15 points off the Thunder bench. Panaggio also grabbed six rebounds and had four steals. Senior center Maris Hovee collected 15 rebounds, including 10 offensive boards and she distributed a game-high six assists.

Wheaton shot 40.9% (27-66) from the field, with 18.2% (2-11) from three-point range and 62.5% (15-24) at the free throw line. The Big Blue shot a 39% (23-59) field goal percentage, with 27.3% (3-11) behind the three-point arc and 61.1% (11-18) at the charity stripe.

Brittany Czaplicki led Millikin with a team-high 20 points, adding six rebounds, four assists and three steals. Bria Williams shot 5-for-7 from the field for the hosts to score 13 points and she collected 14 rebounds.

The first ten minutes of the game were tightly contested as Wheaton held a narrow 16-15 lead with 9:55 remaining in the opening half. The guests scored 15 unanswered points to gain a 31-15 lead with with 3:20 left before halftime. The Thunder scoring surge allowed Wheaton to hold a 33-20 lead at halftime.

Early in the second half, Wheaton recorded four consecutive field goals with a pair of baskets by Ellie Zeller, and field goals by Panaggio and Hovee extended Wheaton's lead to 43-23 with 14:35 left in regulation The 20-point bulge was Wheaton's largest lead of the game. A basket by Millikin's Bria Williams with 3:20 left in the game cut Wheaton's lead to seven points at 63-56, however, that was the closest the Big Blue could get.