By: After both teams experienced a long scoreless drought in the fourth quarter, the Lady Blues kicked it up a notch in the final two minutes to get the victory in the season finale.
Box Score
JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College women's basketball team found itself locked in yet another tight affair with Grinnell College, and for the second time in two weeks the Lady Blues were able to emerge with a one-point victory over the Pioneers. Two
Grace Yaunches free throws in the final seconds proved to be the difference as IC downed Grinnell by a score of 59-58 to close out the 2017-18 season.
Led by Kayla Morrissey, Grinnell opened the game on a 10-0 run before
Shannon Propst finally rolled home back-to-back jumpers to get the offense going for Illinois College. The Pioneers ended the first quarter with a 16-10 lead.
A 7-0 run early in the second quarter brought the Lady Blues all the way back and gave them a 22-19 lead, but Morrissey continued to be nearly unstoppable, putting up 19 of her game-high 30 points in the first half and leading Grinnell back to a 33-28 halftime edge.
After a back and forth opening to the third quarter, Illinois College ended on a 7-0 run to take a 48-45 lead into the fourth. Propst and Yaunches each hit three-pointers in the late stages of the quarter to supply most of the offense.Â
In the final quarter of action, the score would eventually settle into a deadlock at 52-52, and for nearly five minutes of the fourth quarter neither team would score. Two
Bailey Paskach free throws finally put IC on top with 1:39 on the clock, and Yaunches added a steal and breakaway layup to put Illinois College up by four with a minute left.Â
With Illinois College ahead, 57-55, and seven seconds left, Yaunches calmly connected on two shots from the line. Grinnell moved the ball upcourt quickly, but all Hanna Kessel's three-pointer at the buzzer could do was bring the Pioneers to within one.
Yaunches ended with a team-high 14 points and she added a game-high three steals. Propst had 13 points off the bench for the Lady Blues.
Shannen Quehl ended up just short of a double-double with nine points and 12 rebounds. Illinois College ends the season at 9-16 (7-9 Midwest Conference).
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