Wheaton, Ill. -- Looking to get back into the win column, the Thunder women's basketball team hosted the neighboring Elmhurst Bluejays in King Arena on Saturday evening as their conference home opener. A strong run at the end of the first half helped turn what was a competitive contest into a comfortable Wheaton win, and the hosts eventually earned a dominant 83-45 result. The Thunder improve to 6-3 on the season and 1-1 in CCIW action as a result of tonight's victory. A career-high 25 points by Caroline Sikkink helped set the tone for Wheaton's impressive offensive performance.

The game got off to a sloppy start as Elmhurst was immediately whistled for a backcourt violation and Wheaton failed to score on their first three possessions. A fast break layup by Annika Richardson gave the hosts their first lead of the game at 4-2 three minutes in, but consecutive baskets by the Bluejays swung the momentum back in their favor. The Thunder responded with an eight-point run to open up a cushion as the first quarter wound down, and Kate OIiver converted a jumper on the final possession to put Wheaton up 14-8 at the end of the period. Wheaton shot close to 39% from the field in the opening frame while limiting their fellow suburbanites to just a 3-17 shooting mark.

Five points from Sikkink to begin the second quarter threatened to put the game under total Thunder control, but four free throws from Elmhurst in quick succession gave the Bluejays a foothold. Wheaton enjoyed a 22-14 edge around the halfway point of the frame, but a six-point spurt from the guests moved the contest firmly back in the balance. Just when it appeared as though Elmhurst might end the half in the ascendency, the hosts flipped a switch defensively and knocked down a pair of clutch three-pointers to seize the momentum. After holding Elmhurst scoreless on their final six possessions of the first half, Wheaton entered the locker room with a 32-23 scoreline in their favor.

The third quarter is not usually Wheaton's strong point in games, but the Thunder flipped the script tonight and sealed their win in a quality showing by outscoring the Bluejays 22-8 after halftime. The home side's smothering defense was key in the third period, as Wheaton limited Elmhurst to only eight shot attempts and three conversions. The away team registered the first basket of the half to cut Wheaton's lead down to seven points, but this was as close as the visitors would come the rest of the way, and Wheaton maintained their lead in the double-digit range after Anna Fernandez splashed in a three-ball to put the Thunder up 35-25. The backup brigade got notable playing time in the second half thanks to Wheaton's large lead, and a late three-pointer by Alyssa Faberowski ensured that the Thunder reached 80 points in a game for the first time since a November 2021 win over Dominican.

Elmhurst shot just 27.1% from the field on Saturday evening, while Wheaton enjoyed a solid 45.1% shot conversion rate. The hosts posted a 38.9% three-point mark, but the Bluejays only connected on two of their 11 attempts from beyond the arc. The Thunder dominated the battle in the paint, registering 40 points and holding Elmhurst to 16 from the lane. Wheaton also earned an astonishing 50 bench points in the win, half of which came from Caroline Sikkink, who played 27 minutes on Saturday. The hosts did a good job of capitalizing on their visitors' mistakes, tallying 33 points off of turnovers while Elmhurst notched 12 in the same category. Wheaton won the battle on the glass, securing 42 rebounds to Elmhurst's 34 and comfortably captured the takeaway column, forcing 26 turnovers by the Bluejays.

In addition to her game-high points haul, Sikkink tallied six rebounds, three assists, and three steals. Incredibly, Wheaton had only one other scorer hit double figures in the game: Annika Richardson with ten to her name. Four different Thunder players contributed seven points, and Lily Schwen earned impressive game-highs of seven assists and six steals.

Wheaton has one more game on the schedule before a brief Christmas break. The Thunder are set to face Illinois Wesleyan in Bloomington next Saturday in a 2 PM conference tip-off.