Wheaton, Ill. - The Thunder women's basketball team rode a strong fourth quarter finish to a 72-61 victory over Alma College on Saturday in the Beth Baker Classic Championship Game. Wheaton outscored the Scots by 12 in the decisive fourth quarter to remain undefeated on the season at 4-0. The loss drops the Scots to 2-2 on the year. Wheaton will continue its season-opening homestand on Wednesday, November 20, when the Thunder host 18th-ranked University of Chicago for a Top-25 tussle at King Arena with a 6 pm start.
Alma rode a hot shooting night from the three-point line in its upset bid of the Thunder. The Scots finished the game shooting 50% (nine-of-18) on three-point attempts despite making just one of five fourth quarter attempts. The Scots shot 36.4% from the field and 70.6% (12-17) from the free throw line. Wheaton shot 36.8% from the field and 34.8% from the three-point line while making 22-of-30 free throw attempts including 15-of-20 in the decisive fourth quarter. Alma narrowly won the rebounding battle 39-36 with a 12-10 edge in offensive rebounds.
Trailing by a point entering the fourth quarter,
Hannah Swider opened the final stanza with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Thunder a 53-48 lead they would not reliquish. As they had all game, the Scots refused to go away, pulling to within 58-55 on a lay-up by Stasha Warchock with 4:42 to play. Wheaton responded with an 8-0 run to put the lead into double figures for the first time on a free throw by
Hannah Frazier with 2:42 to play. A three-point play by Emily Long with just over a minute left ended a scoring drought of over three minutes for the Scots, but Wheaton was able to ice the game at the free throw line for the victory.
Much of the first half was a back and forth affair with the lead trading hands. Alma took its largest lead of the game on a Madison Hill three-pointer to lead 11-7 with 3:45 left in the first quarter, but Wheaton rallied to tie the score at 13 before a late three-pointer gave the Scots a 16-13 lead at the end of the first ten minutes. A three-pointer by Kristen Madsen and a
Hannah Williams lay-up highlighted a Thunder run that saw them lead 25-18, but again Alma would close the gap, trailing just 31-28 after two free throws by Warchock with three seconds left in the half.
Wheaton opened the second half strong, stretching its lead to 39-31 until a 13-4 run by the Scots gave them their first lead of the second half at 44-43 en route to a 48-47 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
Hannah Frazier led all players with 25 points and 11 rebounds and was named the Tournament MVP following the game.
Hannah Swider also earned All-Tournament honors with a 14-point performance.
Kirsten Madsen added 10 points.
Jill Berg finished with a game-high seven blocks and 10 rebounds. Hannah Thelen earned All-Tournament honors for the Scots with 13 points.
Kelsey Burton of Lake Forest and Jenna Mace of Wisconsin Lutheran rounded out the All-Tournament Team.
