Maureen Harty Executive Director | College Conference Of Wisconsin And Illinois
Maureen Harty Executive Director | College Conference Of Wisconsin And Illinois
The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women's Basketball Tournament is set for a repeat of last year's championship matchup. Illinois Wesleyan University (IWU) and Carroll University secured their spots in the final after winning their respective semifinal games at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois.
Illinois Wesleyan defeated Millikin University with a decisive 89-62 victory. The Titans, now with 25 wins this season, will compete in the CCIW Tournament championship game for the ninth time in ten years. Ava Bardic led IWU with 23 points, while Lauren Huber contributed a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Kate Palmer added 22 points to the tally. IWU's defense was strong, recording 19 steals and capitalizing on Millikin's turnovers for a significant scoring advantage.
Millikin's Emily White scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the loss. Matayia Tellis matched game-high honors with four steals as Millikin concluded its season with a record of 9-18.
In another semifinal clash, Carroll University emerged victorious over Wheaton College with an 89-54 win. Olivia Rangel, named Lori Kerans CCIW Most Outstanding Student-Athlete, led Carroll by scoring 23 points and providing eight assists. Despite Wheaton briefly taking the lead in the second quarter, Carroll regained control and maintained a comfortable margin throughout the second half.
Carroll saw all five starters score at least ten points each, while Chloe Halverson topped the team with nine rebounds. Natalie Palzkill contributed defensively off the bench with four steals.
Annika Richardson led Wheaton with 14 points as they wrapped up their season at 15-12.
Both teams will face off again to determine this year's champion in what promises to be an exciting rematch.
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