Wheaton, Ill. - The Thunder women's basketball game overcame a sluggish start and a hot shooting Carthage team for a gritty 58-53 victory on Saturday night at King Arena. Wheaton fell behind 11-0 over the first four minutes of the game and missed all eight first half three-point attempts but manged to shoot 57% from the field in the second half to come from behind for the victory. Wheaton wraps up the first half of the conference schedule tied with North Central atop the CCIW with identical 6-1 conference records. Wheaton is now 16-2 overall. Carthage falls to 11-7 overall and 4-3 in conference play.

Wheaton shot 40.4% (23-57) from the field despite shooting just 3-13 (23.1%) from the three-point line. Wheaton struggled from the free throw line as well, shooting just 52.9% (9-17). The Lady Reds shot 42.2% (19-45) from the field and 7-13 (53.8%) from the three-point line. Carthage made eight-of-11 free throw attempts for a 72.7-percent clip. Wheaton outrebounded the Lady Reds 33-31 including a 12-6 edge on the offensive glass.

A trio of three-points from the Lady Reds highlighted an 11-0 start for the visitors as Wheaton was held without a basket for the first 4:16 of the game until Hannah Considine hit a baseline jumper to put Wheaton on the board. Six straight points by Mel Bremhorst brought Wheaton back to within four at 13-9 with 11:26 to play in the first half. Carthage pushed the lead back to as high as eight at several points throughout the first half but Wheaton was able to chip away at the lead and cut the deficit to 22-19 at the intermission.

Carthage opened the second half by extending the lead to eight points in the first 100 seconds in the second half before Wheaton went to work at chipping away. A three-pointer by Chantal Meacham turned the momentum in the favor of the hosts and cut the Carthage lead to one at 30-29 with 15:16 to play. After a pair of Carthage lay-ups, Wheaton ran off nine unanswered points, highlighted by a Bremhorst three-pointer to take a six-point lead at 38-32. Wheaton would not surrender the lead for the remainder of the game.

The Lady Reds cut the lead back to one with 9:34 to play but an Ellie Zeller jumper and  Meacham three pushed the lead back to six. Five straight points from the visits brought Carthage back to within one again with 6:25 to play but a lay-up by Lauren Graham and a Zeller lay-up off a Katie McDaniels assist brought the lead back to five at 51-46. McDaniels (PICTURED RIGHT) accounted for a game-high nine assists. Carthage again cut the lead down to one-possession on a pair of occasions, but Wheaton answered with lay-ups both times including a Considine lay-in with 50 seconds to play to account for the final score of 58-53.

Hannah Considine led all scorers with 17 points. Mel Bremhorst finished with a career-high 11 points. Ellie Zeller finished with eight points to go with a game-high eight rebounds and four assists. Alexis Hahn led the Lady Reds with 14 points and six rebounds.

Wheaton will wrap up its three-game homestand on Wednesday night when the Thunder welcome Illinois Welseyan to King Arena for a 7 PM tipoff. Wheaton is a perfect 8-0 at home this season.