The Millikin women's basketball team picked up an important CCIW win 85-80 over Illinois Wesleyan University on Jan. 14 at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Illinois.  Millikin improves to 11-4 overall and 2-2 in conference play.  Illinois Wesleyan falls to 6-9, 0-4.  The Big Blue win snapped a 16 game Titans winning streak in the series between the two rivals.

          Millikin used a second half rally to overcome a 45-36 Illinois Wesleyan halftime lead.  The Titans pushed their advantage to 11 points with 18:22 left in the game before Millikin used a second half burst of energy to edge their way back.  Millikin tied the game at 65-65 with 6:28 left to play on a jumper by freshman Devin Curry.  The Titans answered with a Molly McGraw free throw to pull back in front.  Curry would then hit two free throws to make it 67-66 Millikin with 5:38 left to play.  The Titans would take its last lead seconds later on a free throw by Kasey Reaber. 

          Millikin would take the lead for good with 5:08 remaining on a jumper by senior Holly Haskins.  Back-to-back buckets by junior Hannah Millington helped the Big Blue open up some breathing room at 75-69 with 3:18 left to play.  Millikin would go up by eight with three minutes left on two Kelsey Going free throws.

          The Titans would then make a final run pulling to within one point at 77-76 with 50 seconds left on a layup by Gabrielle Holness.  The Big Blue's Rachael Weber made it a 79-76 Big Blue advantage with 45 seconds left to play.  The Titans would answer on a Rebekah Ehresman jumper to make it a one point game with 34 second left to play. 

Curry would connect on two three throws to push the advantage to 81-78 with 29 seconds remaining.  Weber and Curry would ice the game for Millikin in the final 15 seconds each hitting two clutch free throws.

          Millikin dominated the glass in the second half out rebounding Illinois Wesleyan 27-9 in the half.  The Big Blue won the overall rebounding battle 48 to 26.  The Big Blue shot 53 percent from the field including 57 percent in the second half.  The Titans connected on 42 percent of its shots on the game. 

          Millikin had contributions up and down the lineup with four players scoring in double figures and seven players scoring more than eight points.  Millington led Millikin with 18 points and five rebounds.  Going came up big for Millikin in her return from injury scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds.  Curry and Yip Ypya each had 10 points.  Haskins scored nine points, grabbed a team high nine rebounds and dished out a team high seven assists.  Weber had nine points and six rebounds and Emma Hoyer had eight points and five rebounds.

          Illinois Wesleyan got 24 points and nine rebounds from Reaber.  Holness had 22 points and six rebounds and McGraw added 14 points.

          Millikin will travel to Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin on Saturday, January 17.