Kenosha, Wis. – The Wheaton Thunder women's basketball team dropped a 79-66 decision to Illinois Wesleyan on Friday in the opening semifinal of the 2014 CCIW Women's Basketball Tournament. Wheaton is now 19-6 on the season, while the Titans improve to 19-7 on the year. Illinois Wesleyan advances to the 2014 CCIW Women's Basketball Tournament Championship Game on Saturday at 7 PM. Sophomore Hannah Considine led the Thunder with 24 points and seven rebounds. Considine shot 9-of-14 from the field on the evening.

Freshman Katie McDaniels scored 15 points and distributed a game-high six assists for the Thunder. Lauren Graham scored eight points, with five rebounds and Ellie Zeller scored seven points with nine rebounds.

Wheaton shot 36.9% (24-65) from the field, with 23.1% (3-13) from three-point range and 71.4% (15-21) at the free throw line. The Titans put together a 49.3% (33-67) field goal percentage for the game, including 57.6% (19-33) in the second half. IWU shot 43.8% (7-16) behind the three-point arc and 75% (6-8) at the charity stripe. The Thunder out-rebounded the Titans 42-37 tonight, with a 17-11 edge for Wheaton on the offensive glass.

Wheaton led for much of the first half. The largest Thunder lead of the opening half was a five-point advantage, occurring on three occasions, the last occurrence was a 22-17 Wheaton lead with 7:15 remaining before halftime. The Titans led 32-31 when Thunder freshman Chantal Meacham drained a three-pointer as time expired to close out the half with a 34-32 Wheaton lead at the intermission.

The Titans out-scored the Thunder 11-3 in the first 2:30 of the second half to take a 43-37 lead. The Titans continued to maintain a narrow lead throughout the second half. The Titans led by as many as seven points in the second half, including a 67-60 lead with 4:25 remaining in regulation. Wheaton's Ellie Zeller trimmed the Titans' lead to 67-63 by hitting a three-pointer with 4:10 left in the second half. A basket by IWU's Kasey Reaber gave the Titans a 69-63 edge with2:40 remaining in regulation and a Titan steal on Wheaton's next possession resulted in a fast-break layup for Reaber to increase the IWU lead to 71-63 with 2:34 remaining in the game. Wheaton was unable to close the gap on the Titans as IWU advanced to the CCIW Tournament Championship Game on Saturday at 7 PM in Kenosha.

Lexi Baltes led four Titan players in double digits with 19 points. Kasey Reaber scored 18 points, with four assists. Colleen McMahon contributed 16 points, with five assists and four steals for the Titans. Shelby Jackson scored 11 points, with six rebounds and three assists.