The #17 ranked Millikin women's basketball team used a late game rally to knock off eighth ranked Illinois Wesleyan 93-91 on January 17 at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois. The Big Blue's Sophie Darden hit the game winner with 4.6 second remaining.

Millikin (14-3, 6-2) knocks off the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin leading Titans (14-3, 7-1) after trailing for most of the second half. The Big Blue kept battling the entire game trailing by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter. Millikin trailed by seven with 3:52 remaining before going on an 11-2 run to close out the game. Darden started the run with a layup to make it 89-84 Titans with 3:32 remaining. After a Titan miss, Kyleigh Block grabbed the rebound for Millikin and would eventually would find an open Anna Blank who would hit a three-point from the corner to pull the Big Blue to 89-87 with 2:38 to play. Millikin kept up the defensive pressure and Elyce Knudsen grabbed the Illinois Wesleyan missed shot and drove the length of the court to tie the game at 89-89 with 1:46 left in the game. Knudsen would put Millikin up 91-89 with 47 second to go in the game. Kate Palmer would answer for Illinois Wesleyan to tie the game at 91-91. Both teams missed opportunities to score in the final 40 seconds before Darden hit the game winner off an assist from Block.

Millikin had a strong first quarter and led by 12 with 30 seconds left in the quarter. The Titans would outscore Millikin 31-20 in the second quarter to go up 54-50 at halftime.

The game has 12 lead changes with nine ties. Millikin scored 29 points off of 24 Illinois Wesleyan turnovers. Millikin shot 49 percent (37-76) from the field and made 8-19 42 percent from three-point range. Illinois Wesleyan shot 46 percent (32-69) from the field and made 8-21 (38 percent) from three-point range. The Titans won the rebounding battle 50-35.

Darden led Millikin with her ninth double double of the season with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Knudsen added 22 points and seven rebounds. Matayia Tellis scored 13 points for the Big Blue. Blank and Bailey Coffman each scored nine for Millikin.

Ava Bardic led Illinois Wesleyan with 22 points followed by Palmer with 17 and Sawyer White and Lauren Huber each with 15.

Millikin will travel to Elmhurst on Saturday before hosting the rematch with the Titans on Wednesday, January 24 at 7 p.m. at the Griswold Center. All fans dressed in blue with be admitted free to the game. Illinois Wesleyan travels to second place Carroll University on Saturday.