Lady Blues Defensive Dominates Lawrence For MWC Victory

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College women's basketball team played in front of their home crowd for just the second time this season by hosting Lawrence University for a Midwest Conference decision Saturday afternoon in Sherman Gymnasium. The Lady Blues improve to 5-5 overall and 2-2 in MWC play after defeat the Viking by the final score of 49-40.

The defensive efforts by IC held Lawrence to just 22 percent shooting from the field and 12.9 percent from behind the arc for the game. 

The Lady Blues got off to a 4-0 start as Sarra Faust began the scoring with a lay-in that was assisted from Madison Webb. Shortly later, Maya Smith knocked down a pair of free-throws that capped of the 4-0 run. The Vikings responded with back-to-back layups and tied the game at four apiece. IC and Lawrence exchanged one basket each that created a 6-6 tie after the first 10 minutes of action.   

IC opened the second quarter on a 9-2 run that started on a lay-in by Ashlyn Wightman as Anna McKee and Kendra Bass each added a three-point basket. McKee added the final point in run by splitting a pair of free-throws that gave IC the seven-point advantage at 15-8. However, the Vikings responded with a 7-2 run that cut the lead down to just two at 17-15. The Lady Blues closed out the first half on a 4-0 run that included baskets from Faust and Gracie Kizer that generated the halftime score of 21-15.   

For the entire third quarter, both teams went basket-for-basket where the Lady Blues kept the five-point advantage until the final minute of the quarter. With 28 second remaining, Kizer netted a deep three-point basket that gave IC the 34-26 advantage heading into the final quarter. 

The Vikings added the first two points in the fourth on a pair of free-throws. The Lady Blues answered with a 6-0 run that started on a lay-in by Brooklyn Stiefel as Bass and Jayln Patterson each contributed a basket. That basket by Patterson stretch the IC lead to 12 at 40-28. In the final four minutes, the Vikings has a late offensive push with a 6-2 run that cut the lead down to seven at 44-37. Wightman stopped the run with a basket in the paint as Bass closed out the game by going three-of-four from the free-throw line that generate the final score.       

For the game, IC was led in scoring by Bass with 12 points while Patterson contributed eight points. Wightman hauled in a game-high 14 rebounds and added six points in just 23 minutes of action. 

The Lady Blues will return to the hardwood on December 17th visiting the Scarlet Hawks of Illinois Institute of Technology for a 2:00 PM contest in Chicago, Illinois.