The No. 21 ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater women's basketball team outscored 12th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan by 17 points in the second and third quarters combined Tuesday night in a 78-73 triumph in a non-conference affair in Bloomington, Ill.
The Warhawks (3-1 overall) shot 64.7 percent (11-of-17) in the third quarter to take a four-point lead into the fourth quarter, when the team scored the last seven points of the contest to emerge with a critical road win.
Junior guard Becky Raeder collected a career-high 21 points on 7-of-10 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free-throw line to lead UW-Whitewater, which made 15-of-16 foul shots, including 5-of-5 over the final 1:04 of regulation.
Senior forward Sarah Schumacher posted 16 points in 17 minutes of action, and senior forward Olivia Freckmann registered 10 points and six rebounds. Sophomore guard Emily Schumacher added nine points, and junior guard Camri Conley chipped in eight points, six rebounds and five assists.
The Titans (2-2) jumped out to a 10-2 lead three minutes into the game, built their lead to as many as 12 in the quarter and led by 11 heading into the second.
UW-Whitewater trimmed its deficit down to four by the 7:30 mark of the second quarter thanks to a 3-point play by Raeder, but Illinois Wesleyan bumped its advantage up to nine by the midway point of the period.
Junior guard Megan Corcoran hit a 3-pointer to make it a one-possession game with 1:36 left, and sophomore guard Adriana Green hit a jumper in the waning moments to bring the team back within three at 37-34 at halftime.
The game was tied seven different times in the first seven minutes of the third quarter before six straight points by Freckmann gave the Warhawks a 60-54 advantage with 37 seconds to go. The Titans converted on their final possession to draw within four at the close of the third.
UW-Whitewater held a slim lead over the first five minutes, 31 seconds of the fourth quarter thanks to five points in the early going by Sarah Schumacher.
The two teams traded the lead four more times over the next three minutes, 30 seconds, and the game was tied at 73-73 with 1:04 on the clock, the contest's 10th tie.
Emily Schumacher finished her 3-point play with a free throw to give the Warhawks the lead for good, and Raeder hit four free throws over the final 25 seconds. UW-Whitewater held the Titans without a field goal over the final four minutes of the affair and scoreless over the last one minute, 49 seconds.
The Warhawks return to action Wednesday, Nov. 28, at Augustana. Tipoff in Rock Island, Ill., is set for 5 p.m.