Dupage Policy Journal

Illinois Wesleyan University's women's basketball team claimed its 11th College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament title with a 95-86 win over Carroll. The game took place on Saturday night at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois. This victory also marked the Titans' 26th win of the season.

The Titans achieved a CCIW sweep by securing both the regular-season and tournament titles. They have previously accomplished this feat in the years 2003, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2018, and most recently in 2022.

Lauren Huber was instrumental for Illinois Wesleyan, leading all scorers with 28 points. She successfully converted 12 out of her 17 field-goal attempts and recorded a double-double with her additional contribution of 11 rebounds. Mallory Powers also added to the team's success with her own tally of 22 points.

The game saw IWU trailing initially as Carroll scored the first four points. However, IWU responded with a strong performance and led for most of the match. By the end of the first quarter, they were ahead by a score of 23-12 and extended their lead to 48-36 by halftime.

Carroll made a strong push in the fourth quarter with a total of 34 points and managed to reduce their deficit significantly during an impressive run. Despite this effort from Carroll's Natalie Gricius who netted an impressive total of 27 points without missing any free throws, IWU held on to their lead through crucial free throws in the final moments.

With this tournament victory, Illinois Wesleyan University will represent CCIW as its automatic qualifier in the NCAA Tournament. The team is set to discover its first-round opponent and location on Monday.