Wheaton, Ill. -- Fresh off of a strong opening weekend that saw the squad earn a pair of wins in the 2023 Beth Baker Classic, the Wheaton women's basketball team returned to King Arena this evening for a non-conference matchup against Benedictine University. The Thunder started and ended the contest in dominant fashion and eventually secured a lopsided 89-55 victory to improve to 3-0 on the season. Reigning CCIW Women's Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week Caroline Sikkink posted a career-high 31 points in tonight's game to set the tone for the Thunder.

Benedictine shrugged off an early 5-0 deficit to tie the game two minutes into the opening quarter, but an Annie Tate three-pointer restored the hosts' advantage, and Wheaton held the lead for the rest of the contest from that point on. A 12-point run by the Thunder in the middle of the first period pushed their advantage up to 22-8, and the visiting Eagles were unable to establish any offensive rhythm to enable a potential comeback. A three-ball from Alyssa Faberowski in the final seconds of the quarter gave Wheaton a 27-14 edge at the end of the first frame. The home side then registered the first 12 points of the second period to create clear daylight between themselves and Benedictine. The Eagles finally crossed the 20-point mark on the scoreboard with a couple of minutes remaining in the half, but the Thunder's smothering defense and fluid offense left their NACC opponents with too big of a challenge to overcome. Wheaton entered the locker room with a commanding 49-25 lead.

The closest Benedictine got to their hosts' score after halftime was 16 points at the start of the fourth quarter. Each time the Eagles made a shot and attempted to generate some offensive momentum, the Thunder had an answer on the other end of the floor, and their lead never looked in doubt after the opening exchanges of the contest. Wheaton took care of business in the early stages of Tuesday's contest, and as a result, the team got to enjoy one of the smoothest second halves they could have hoped for. The 89 points scored by the Thunder tonight are the most in a single game for the Wheaton women's basketball team since a 90-83 victory over Millikin in January of 2021.

The Thunder continued their sharp-shooting ways at the start of the new season this evening, posting a 57% mark from the field, including an eye-catching 10-16 figure in the first quarter. Wheaton knocked down four three-pointers in the opening period and finished with a 53.8% figure from distance. The hosts enjoyed a significant advantage on the glass on Tuesday, out-rebounding Benedictine by a 42-17 margin while also committing four fewer turnovers. Points in the paint and second chance baskets were key to Wheaton's blowout victory, with the Thunder registering 46-24 and 24-0 disparities in those categories, respectively.

Sikkink's game-leading point total paired with her game-high 12 rebounds to account for a double-double to continue the senior's impressive start to the campaign. The veteran guard made 13 field goals from inside the arc on Tuesday along with five successful free throw attempts. Annie Tate had another high-scoring outing, going for 23 points and a team-high three three-pointers. Annika Richardson was one rebound short of her own double-double, compiling nine boards and 13 points to go with four assists and a team-high three steals. Lily Schwen tallied a new career-high mark herself on Tuesday, earning nine assists. Belle Iten and Jenna Hunter registered their first collegiate baskets for Wheaton in the closing moments of tonight's victory.

After beginning the season with three consecutive home games, the Wheaton women will take to the road for the first time on Friday. The Belles of Saint Mary's College (Ind.) are set to host the Thunder in a non-conference matchup that will tip off at 5 PM CT.