Wheaton, Ill. - The Thunder women's basketball team closed out the regular season on Saturday night with a 72-65 victory over North Central College at King Arena. With the victory, Wheaton clinched an outright CCIW Championship and the right to host the upcoming CCIW Tournament on February 28 and 29. Wheaton finishes the regular season with a record of 19-6 after winning its 24th-consecutive matchup against the Cardinals. The Cardinals will enter the CCIW Tournament as the six-seed with an overall record of 11-14 and 7-9 in the CCIW.

Wheaton finished the game shooting 45.5% (25-55) from the field despite struggling from beyond the arc, hitting just 5-of-18 (27.8%) from the three-point line. North Central shot 38.8% (26-67) from the field and 42.9% (6-14) from deep. The Cardinals hit seven-of-nine of free throws while Wheaton was 17-27 (63%) from the charity stripe.

Wheaton came charging out of the gates to open the game, racing out to an 11-2 lead on Jordan Myroth's lay-up with 4:12 left in the quarter. A late three-pointer by North Central kept the Thunder lead in single digits at 15-7 at the end of the quarter and built momentum leading into the second stanza for the visitors. The Cardinals used the late three to to open the second quarter on an 11-1 run to take their first lead at 18-16 with just under seven minutes left in the half. The game remained close down the stretch with two ties before Wheaton scored the final four points of the half to lead 30-26 at halftime.

The third quarter opened similar to how the second quarter unfolded with the two teams trading baskets baskets leading to a 36-34 North Central lead with 6:28 to play in the quarter. Kirsten Madsen answered with a three-pointer starting a 9-0 Thunder run to put Wheaton ahead 43-36 just over two minutes later. A lay-up later in the quarter by Hannah Swider pushed the lead to nine points where it stood at the end of the quarter with Wheaton leading 52-43.

Madsen kept the lead at nine with a lay-up four minutes into the fourth quarter before North Central tightened the game with a seven-point run to pull within 58-56 with four minutes remaining. Hannah Frazier stopped the run with a lay-up on the ensuing possession but the Cardinals continued to close, getting to within 60-59 with 2:30 to play. Wheaton against answered on the ensuing possession with a Kristi Demski three-pointer and Hannah Williams followed with a lay-up to push the lead back to six points with 1:15 to play. Wheaton was able to close the game out at the free throw line, preserving the 72-65 victory.

Hannah Frazier finished the game with a game-high 22 points to go with nine rebounds, three blocks and three steals. Kirsten Madsen chipped in 16 points and Hannah Swider finished wtih 11 points. Jessica Kowalczyk led the Cardinals with 20 points.