Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton Thunder women's basketball team closed out the regular season on Tuesday night with a 70-50 victory against Elmhurst College (11-14/5-9 CCIW). The Thunder improves to 21-4 on the season, with an 11-3 record in CCIW play.
Wheaton has earned the number-two seed at this weekend's CCIW Tournament and will take on third-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in the first tournament semifinal at 5 PM at Carthage College in Kenosha. Carthage, the top seed, will host North Central at 7 PM in the second semifinal on Friday. Friday's two winners will play at 7 PM on Saturday in the CCIW Tournament Championship Game, with the winner earning the CCIW's automatic bid to the upcoming NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.
Wheaton's Brooke Olson and Ellie Zeller each scored 17 points to lead all scorers tonight. Olson made four three-pointers, giving her 58 on the year; the sixth-highest single-season total in school history and her 156 career three-pointers is third-highest in school history. Olson heads into the conference tournament with 1,101 career points, the 12th highest total in school points and her 399 points in the regular season is the most by a Wheaton player in a full regular season since Kathleen Fidelia scored 476 points in 2008-09.
Maris Hovee grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds and added five assists, with four blocked shots. Olson contributed eight rebounds and four steals. #Hannah Considine# scored eight points, with three blocked shots.
Wheaton shot 41.8% (23-55) from the field, with 50% (8-16) from three-point range and 84.2% (16-19) at the free throw line. Elmhurst posted a 28.6% (18-63) field goal percentage, with 11.8% (2-17) from behind the three-point arc and 60% (12-20) at the charity stripe. Elmhurst out-rebounded Wheaton 43-39, with the Bluejays holding an 18-7 edge on the offensive glass.
Fiona McMahon scored 11 points, with 10 rebounds. Kim Schwerdtmann and Devin Vaughn each scored seven points with six rebounds for the guests.
Wheaton scored the first eight points of the game and the Thunder held a 20-8 lead with a little more than 10 minutes played in the first half. The hosts remained in control for the remainder of the first half, holding a 32-20 lead at halftime. The Thunder led by as many as 24 points in the second half in a 61-37 lead with 3:10 remaining in regulation, before earning the 20-point win in the 70-50 final score.