Rock Island, Ill. -- The Thunder women's basketball team hit the road on Wednesday evening for a conference matchup against the Vikings of Augustana College in western Illinois. Tonight's contest marked the third road game of the new year already for Wheaton and began a three-game stretch away from King Arena. Wednesday's battle was a competitive one that was poised for overtime until the visitors scored with one second remaining to secure a key 64-62 victory. With this positive result Wheaton moves to 9-8 on the year and 4-4 in conference play halfway through the regular season CCIW slate, while Augustana drops to 3-5 in league games. The Thunder's travels will next take the team to Bloomington on Saturday afternoon for a 2 PM contest against second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University.
Wheaton's superior shooting percentages ultimately helped make the difference in Wednesday's tight contest, with the Thunder posting a 44.2% mark overall and going 38% from three-point range, while limiting the Vikings to tallies of 41% and 30%, respectively. Both squads were 10-14 at the free throw line tonight and grabbed 11 offensive boards, but Wheaton collected more rebounds in total at a 36-30 edge. The visitors also nicked three more steals than their hosts, though Augie only committed 13 turnovers to Wheaton's 18. The Vikings carved out scoring advantages in four of the five major categories, with only points off of turnovers falling in the Thunder's favor. But Wheaton's advantage on the glass and two extra three-point shots proved key to the final outcome. The score was tied three times in tonight's game, but the Thunder never trailed and successfully defended their early lead on the scoreboard until the end.
Kate Oliver was the standout performer on Wednesday, leading all players in scoring and rebounding via a 19-point, 12-board double-double. She also tallied a game-high two blocked shots, a joint-best three steals, dished out three assists, and was 7-8 at the foul line in a multifaceted showing.
Lily Caddow (pictured right) scored 15 points on 60% shooting and grabbed four rebounds in the win.
Alyssa Faberowski contributed 12 points, three boards, and three assists, while
Grace Kizer was Wheaton's fourth double-digit scorer on the night with ten to her name and three steals.
Annika Richardson had to settle for just four points with as many shots tonight following consecutive 20-point games last week, but the senior still played a key role in the Thunder win, grabbing six rebounds and racking up a team-high five assists.
Faberowski began the contest with a three-pointer on the opening possession and followed this up by dropping in a mid-range jumper to account for Wheaton's first five points. The visitors' lead ballooned up to ten at 15-5 less than halfway through the first quarter thanks to consecutive misses by Augie followed by Thunder triples. But the hosts scored six of the final nine points in the frame, including a jump shot just before the horn, to trim the lead down to 18-11. The second quarter was Augustana's best stretch of the night, as it sank three threes and shot 61.5% from the floor while denying Wheaton any triples of its own. But the Thunder were able to stop their hosts from taking the lead thanks to five made free throw attempts and clean defense that prevented Augie from reaching the charity stripe. The Vikings tied the game at 28-28 with just over three minutes to play in the half, but Wheaton saw the second quarter out well with a 5-2 run that involved three free throws by Oliver to establish a slender 33-30 halftime lead.
The third frame saw both teams struggle to find any offensive momentum, combining for an 8-25 shooting mark and a 3-11 tally from downtown. But the Thunder's defense and timely scoring kept their noses in front on the scoreboard. A triple from Caddow with 4:25 left in the quarter pushed the team's lead up to eight at 44-36, though Augie would respond with a 6-0 run in the final minutes.
Alexis Martin dropped in a tough layup in the paint on the final possession of the period to give Wheaton a 46-42 advantage heading into the decisive frame.
Trailing 50-43 early in the fourth, the Vikings mounted another seven-point surge to tie the score again as the hosts refused to accept defeat. But a Faberowski three-ball and a Caddow layup on Wheaton's next two possessions gave the suburban guests a lead they would hold until the last ten seconds of the game. The Thunder owned a narrow 60-57 edge heading into the final 90 seconds, but the home side converted a short-range basket to make it a one-point game at the one-minute mark. Wheaton then wisely got the ball into the hands of leading scorer Oliver, who calmly sank two free throws on the next possession. Augustana subsequently missed a potential tying three-pointer, and a Thunder rebound was almost enough to see them close out the game with little fuss. But quick hands by the Vikings caused a turnover going back the other way, and Augustana came up with a clutch triple in transition to tie the game at 62-62 with eight seconds remaining. Now the pressure was on Wheaton to move on from this setback and find a way to win, knowing that the Vikings would carry the momentum if the game reached overtime. Unsurprisingly, the ball made its way to Oliver on the ensuing in-bounds pass, and the junior drove to the left side of the hoop and finished a strong layup in the lane with one second left to silence the home crowd and restore the Thunder's advantage. Augustana was able to call a timeout and advance the ball to Wheaton's half of the floor, still giving the hosts a chance to tie or win in regulation. But the Thunder successfully covered their opponents on the restart and the pass flew over everyone's head and out of bounds, resulting in a turnover. Richardson then stepped up for the following in-bound knowing that she just had to find the hands of a teammate and the game would be over. The senior successfully located Faberowski, who caught the pass down court and dribbled out the last second to claim Wheaton's hard-fought and important win.
