Wheaton, Ill. -- Hosting the last of three consecutive non-conference home games to begin the 2022-23 season, the Wheaton women's basketball team faced off against Saint Mary's College (Ind.) on Tuesday night looking to build on their recent win over UW-Platteville. The Thunder did just that, earning a 76-68 victory to move to 2-1 on the season. An early offensive surge gave the hosts the edge they needed, and Wheaton ultimately closed out a solid win in front of a responsive King Arena crowd.

Offense was the name of the game in the first quarter of tonight's matchup, as the two teams combined for 47 points and each shot over 54% from the floor. Wheaton's first four baskets were all scored by a different player, before Annika Richardson connected on the Thunder's first three-pointer to give them an 11-10 advantage. Two straight jumpers in the lane coming from defensive steals pushed the Thunder's lead up to five halfway through the first period, but a seven-point run from the Belles swung the momentum back their way. Anna Fernandez downed a three-ball to make it a 22-19 game, and the home side held on for a 26-21 edge at the end of the quarter. The two team reverted to the mean in the second quarter as their shooting percentages dropped and more defensive pressure was applied on both ends of the floor. A Saint Mary's bucket on their first possession of the frame cut Wheaton's lead back down to three, but this was as close as the visitors would get to tying the game in the remainder of the contest. Three clutch baskets for the Thunder in the final two minutes saw the hosts enter the locker room with a comfortable nine point advantage, despite a last-second Belles layup.

Lily Schwen earned a fast break layup early in the third quarter to balloon Wheaton's lead up to 13 points, but the away team showed good spirit to remain in the contest and managed to get the lead back down to as little as three in the second half of the period. Kate Oliver splashed in a free throw as the final act of the third quarter to nudge Wheaton back up by four. With everything to play for in the fourth quarter, the Thunder dug deep and regained some offensive momentum to outscore their Indiana visitors 20-16 and pull away for a smooth win. The Belles hit a shot with just over six minutes remaining to cut the lead down to eight points, but three straight baskets in the paint from the hosts over the next two minutes put the result beyond any doubt.

The Thunder excelled in capitalizing on their opponent's mistakes tonight, scoring 21 points off of turnovers and 15 fast break points. They also won the battle underneath the hoop, tallying 34 points in the paint to the Belles' 24. The hosts used their bench to their advantage, securing 21 points from the back-ups to help see the job through.

Caroline Sikkink led the Thunder in scoring oce again tonight, as the junior posted 17 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals in a quality showing. Annika Richardson contributed 14 in the scoring column and tallied a joint team-high three steals to go with her pair of assists and three boards. Anna Fernandez put on a utility display, racking up 11 points, eight rebounds, and three steals to keep the team on course. Ellie Cassel fell just short of a double-double with nine points and as many rebounds, while Lily Schwen collected an impressive seven assists. Kate Oliver hit double-figures in scoring and nabbed three rebounds and two steals while also blocking two shots for good measure. Caylee Hermanson had a solid night on the floor, going for nine points, six boards, a pair of assists, and one steal.

After notching back-to-back wins on their home court, the Wheaton women's team faces their first road trip of the campaign this weekend. The Thunder will head to Tacoma, Washington for a pair of non-conference contests, first against Pacific Lutheran University on Friday night before taking on University of Puget Sound the following day.