PICTURED ABOVE: Devin Kyler recorded a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in Wheaton's 86-75 win over Millikin.

Wheaton, Ill. - A strong fourth quarter performance gave the Thunder women's basketball team an 86-75 victory on Saturday night at King Arena. Trailing by a point entering the fourth quarter, Wheaton outscored the Big Blue 25-13 over the final ten minutes to improve to 11-3 on the season and 5-1 in the CCIW. Millikin falls to 7-9 overall and 1-6 in conference action. Wheaton will next be in action on Wednesday night, when the Thunder travel to North Park for a 7 PM tip off against the Vikings.

The hot-shooting Big Blue shot 64.7% (11-17) from the three-point line to finish at 43.1% (25-58) from the field. Millikin was 87.5% (14-16) from the free throw line. Wheaton shot 40.3% (31-77) from the field and 36.4% (8-22) from the three-point line. Wheaton was 84.2% (16-19) from the charity stripe. Wheaton won the rebounding battle 45-36 including a 19-8 advantage on the offensive glass. The Thunder committed just five turnovers while forcing 13 from the Big Blue.

Devin Curry's second straight three-pointer gave Millikin its first lead of the game at 62-61 in the final seconds of the third quarter to set the stage for Wheaton's fourth quarter comeback. Chantal Meacham's three-pointer to open the fourth quarter gave the Thunder a lead they would not relinquish and started a 7-0 run that opened up a 68-62 Thunder lead.

A Katie McDaniels three-pointer at the midway point of the fourth quarter pushed the Wheaton lead to double-digits for the first time at 77-66 with 4:36 to play. Millikin would cut the lead back to nine points on a pair of occasions but Wheaton answered each time to hold off the Big Blue for the 86-75 victory.

Closely contested from the outset, Ellie Zeller (PICTURED RIGHT) ran off seven straight points to close the first quarter and give the Thunder a 23-14 edge at the end of the first quarter. The Big Blue cut Wheaton's lead down to two points twice in the second quarter but two free throws by McDaniels in the final seconds staked the Thunder to a 39-33 halftime advantage.

Meacham equaled Wheaton's biggest lead of the night with a three-pointer on the opening possession of the second half. A 10-2 Millikin run through the middle of the third quarter tied the game at 53-53 with 3:03 left in the quarter. Another Meacham three and a three-point play by Jill Berg posted Wheaton to a 61-56 lead before Curry closed the quarter with consecutive three-pointers.

Katie McDaniels led the Thunder with a game-high 23 points to go with seven rebounds and four assists. Joining McDaniels in double figures was Ellie Zeller with 15 points, Kellye Lawson with 13 points and Devin Kyler who posted 11 points and a game-high 11 rebounds to go with a game-high five assists. Devin Curry led the Big Blue with 20 points.

Note Worthy: With her 15 points, Ellie Zeller moved past Jill Trenz and Fran Barrett into 11th place on Wheaton's career scoring list with 1,121 career points.