Waukesha, Wis. - The Wheaton women's basketball team returned to action on Saturday in a conference matchup at Carroll University (10-5, 5-1 CCIW). The Pioneers topped the Thunder 100-79 in the contest. Wheaton is now 7-7 overall and 2-3 in CCIW action.
Thunder senior Annika Richardson scored 18 points with six assists and three steals to lead Wheaton against the Pioneers. Richardson shot 70% (7-of-10) from the field today, including 2-for-4 from three-point range. Lily Caddow scored 13 points, with five rebounds and two steals. Jenna Hunter added 12 points off of the Thunder bench. Kate Oliver scored nine points, with six assists and two steals. Alyssa Faberowski and Grace Kizer each contributed eight points.
Wheaton shot 55% (33-for-60) from the field, including 38.9% (7-of-18) from three-point range. The Pioneers shot 53.4% (31-of-58) field goal percentage, including an impressive 54.2% (13-of-24) effort behind the three-point arc. Wheaton posted an 85.7% (6-of-7) free throw percentage, while the Pioneers had an 80.6% (23-of-51) effort at the charity stripe. Carroll out-rebounded the Thunder 33-26, including a 14-9 advantage for the hosts on the offensive glass.
The offensive rebounding edge helped Carroll to a 26-2 advantage in second-chance points. The Pioneers took advantage of 26 Wheaton turnovers as the hosts out-scored the Thunder 36-13 in points off of turnovers.
Wheaton was awarded an administrative technical foul to start the game and Oliver made the free throw as Wheaton led 1-0 before the tipoff. The Pioneers then out-scored the Thunder 11-4 over the first four and a half minutes of the game as the hosts led 11-5 with 5:30 remaining in the first half. Carroll never trailed in the game once the clock started in today's contest as the hosts led 23-15 at the end of the first quarter and held a 46-36 lead at the halftime intermission.
Richardson led Wheaton's first-half scoring with 11 points. Faberowski tallied eight points in the first 20 minutes of the contest. Natalie Gricious scored 13 points for Carroll in the first half and Emilie Wizner scored 12 points for the hosts in the opening half.
Caddow scored 11 points in the second half for the Thunder, while Kizer added eight points. Wizner led Carroll's second-half scoring with 12 points.
Wizner was the leading scorer in the game with 24 points and she added four steals. Gricious scored 22 points with three assists. All-American Olivia Rangel scored 12 points with four assists, Alayna Petalber scored 11 points with four assists and Katie Barger added 10 points.
Wheaton returns to action next Wednesday with a road matchup at North Central College in a 7:00 p.m. tipoff against the Cardinals.
