Wheaton, Ill. -- Saturday night in King Arena did not go according to plan for the Wheaton women's basketball team, as the Thunder were beaten by visiting Illinois Wesleyan by a score of 81-62. Tonight's loss drops Wheaton to 2-2 in conference play and gives them a result to reflect on heading into the Christmas break.
The game started in the best possible way for the Thunder, as a three-pointer from
Hannah Swider, a layup from the same player, and a
Caroline Sikkink bucket from deep on subsequent possessions gave the hosts an 8-0 lead right out of the gate. Illinois Wesleyan looked shellshocked in the opening minutes, and despite not having their preseason All-American on the court, Wheaton looked set for a smooth evening. After multiple exchanges of missed shots and turnovers from either side, IWU finally got on the board at the 6:57 mark when the Titans followed up a free throw by stealing the ball back from their opponents and converting a basket to make it 8-3. But Wheaton responded with a pair of layups and built their largest lead of the night at a 12-3 divide halfway through the opening period. Unfortunately for the Thunder, this early advantage soon faded away under relentless full-court pressure from their guests. All throughout the game, Illinois Wesleyan adopted a strategy of putting multiple defenders on Wheaton's ball-handlers coming out of the backcourt, and this led to a myriad of bad passes and mistimed decisions for Wheaton offensively. The home side's inability to beat the trap, paired with an inevitable cooling-off period from the floor, allowed the Titans to go on a 13-6 run to close out the first quarter. After leading by nine points at the 4:50 mark, the Thunder's lead was down to just two heading into the second.
After three fruitless possessions to open the second period, IWU got a steal and a fast break layup to tie the game at 18 apiece. From that point on, Wheaton never held the lead again. After a Titans three-pointer,
Zoe Nordling cashed in to cut the visitors' lead to one point at 21-20, but Illinois Wesleyan responded with an eight-point run to create some separation between the two teams. The Thunder showed signs of offensive improvement in the closing minutes of the first half, with Sikkink and Swider three-pointers book-ending a pair of
Ellie Cassel layups to help Wheaton hit 30 on the scoreboard. But what the hosts gained in shooting efficiency they failed to replicate on the defensive side of the ball. Wesleyan were not able to apply the killer blow in the first half, but they still entered the locker room with a 36-30 lead and the momentum firmly on their side.
The home team started the second half on the front foot, as back-to-back baskets cut the Titans' edge to only four points two minutes into the quarter. This, however, would prove to be as close as the Thunder got to their rivals in the remainder of the game. Wheaton forced Illinois Wesleyan to respect their powerful front-court game and refused to go down without a fight, but the Titans ultimately had more speed and finishing prowess on the evening. Wheaton managed to cut Illinois Wesleyan's lead to six on a couple of fourth quarter possessions, but it never felt as though Wesleyan's advantage was going to collapse in tonight's road test. The Titans were able to make the necessary shots and free throws offensively and come up with enough stops at critical points in the second half to prevent Wheaton from turning the scoreline around and heading into their two-week hiatus with a victory.
Hannah Swider led the way for the Thunder on Saturday, posting a season-high 23 points and adding two blocks and three assists in a solid all-around showing.
Ellie Cassel followed up her MVP performance in Wednesday's home win over Carroll by earning a double-double, going for 17 points and 12 rebounds on the night.
Caroline Sikkink contributed eight points and boards to go with five assists and two steals.
Lily Schwen had a team-high six assists.
As a team, the Thunder shot 38.1% from the floor, while going 7-19 from deep. They had another strong night at the line, making seven of their eight foul shots. Wheaton held a 12-9 advantage over IWU in second chance points, but the visitors from Bloomington shot 45% on the evening and outmatched the Thunder in almost every other statistic on their way to what was ultimately an impressive performance and result.
With their first four conference games behind them, the Thunder can rest and recharge over the upcoming holiday break. Wheaton will take the court again on December 30th when they host Concordia University (Wis.) in a nonconference matchup before heading to University of Chicago on the final day of the year.
