Behind a career-high 27 points from junior forward Isabella Mills, the Case Western Reserve University women's basketball team defeated Denison University 93-69 on Saturday afternoon at Horsburgh Gymnasium in Cleveland, Ohio to snap a three-game losing streak.
With the win, the Spartans improve to 3-5 on the campaign while the Big Red drop to 1-5 this season.
Mills matched the single-game program record for made three-pointers with seven, tying the record set by former Spartan Mary Herendeen on January 27, 2008 against the University of Rochester. Mills finished the game seven-for-10 from beyond the arc, eight-for-11 from the field, and added four free throws on six attempts. She also grabbed seven rebounds, tying her for the team lead in the contest with sophomore forward Kayla Characklis.
With the score tied at 12 late in the first quarter, Case Western Reserve went on an 11-5 run to end the period with a six-point lead. Senior guard Abbey Lawrence had six of the Spartans points during the run, including the three-pointer that gave CWRU the lead. Lawrence finished the game with 18 points, six rebounds, and four assists.
Denison tied the game again at 31 midway through the second quarter on a three-pointer, but the Spartans took the lead again on a free throw from Mills. After the Spartans widened their advantage to 36-33 on a layup from Characklis, the Big Red tied it again with just over two minutes left in the period on a three-point play. Case Western Reserve responded with a 7-1 run to end the frame, taking a 43-37 lead into halftime.
A Big Red three-pointer just under three minutes into the second half cut the Spartans lead to just one, 48-47, but a three-pointer from sophomore guard Margaret Terry started a 10-0 CWRU run, giving the hosts an 11-point advantage. The Spartans did not let up, pushing the lead to 14 at the end of the frame on a pair of free throws from Lawrence.
Mills added 13 of her 27 points in the fourth quarter to help the Spartans pull away. Back-to-back three-pointers from Mills, including the record-matching three, gave CWRU an 84-59 lead with under six minutes left in the game as the Spartans then cruised to victory.
Characklis finished the game with a career-high 20 points on nine-of-14 shooting. Of her seven rebounds, five were on the offensive end. Junior guard McKenna Gross dished out a team-high six assists to go along with 12 points.
As a team, the Spartans made 49.3% of their shots and 44.0% of their three-point shots, both season high marks. They outrebounded the Big Red 47-33 and had 24 second chance points on 15 offensive rebounds.
CWRU continues their four-game home stand on Tuesday, November 30 with a matchup against Marietta College. Tip-off in Horsburgh Gymnasium is set for 6:00 p.m.