JACKSONVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois College women's basketball team closed out their five-game homestand hosting Knox College for a Midwest Conference decision Wednesday night in Sherman Gymnasium. The Lady Blues battled the Prarie Fire but came up short in the fourth quarter and fell by the final score of 70-80. IC's
Ashlyn Wightman had a career-best rebounding and block performance as she hauled down 19 rebounds and eliminated seven shots.
The Lady Blues got out to a quick 13-4 advantage that started on a layup from
Sarra Faust just four seconds into the game. In the run,
Jayln Patterson contributed four points while Wightman and
Anna McKee each added a basket. IC's leading scorer in
Kendra Bass capped out off the run by battling through the contact and converting the three-point play at the free-throw line for the nine-point advantage. However, the Prairie Fire responded with their own 9-0 run that tied the game at 13 apiece. Each team battled back-and-forth and exchanged baskets to a 17-17 tie. IC closed out the first quarter on a 6-2 run as Bass converted another conventional three-point play while
Maya Smith netted a deep three-point basket for the 23-19 advantage.
IC and Knox started the second quarter battling back-and-forth and exchanged baskets to the four-point advantage at 27-23. Shortly later, IC's
Brooklyn Stiefel extended the lead to six at 29-23 by knocking down a pair of free-throws. The Prairie Fire battled back with a 6-0 run that tied the game at 29-29. With 3:16 remaining in the first half, IC extended the lead to five at 34-29 on baskets from Wightman and McKee. However, Knox closed out the first half on a 6-0 run and took the 34-35 advatange into halftime.
The battle continued in the third quarter as each team went basket-for-basket to a 42-42 tie. Midway through the quarter, Knox responded with on an 8-2 run for the six-point deficit at 44-50. With 3:15 remaining in the quarter, IC chipped back with an 8-0 run started on back-to-back baskets from Wightman. In the run, Faust drained a three-point basket that gave IC the 51-50 lead as Bass added the final point at the free-throw line for a 52-50 lead. Knox added the final basket of the quarter on a buzzer-beating layup from Nyah Daniels that tied the game at 52 apiece.
The Prairie Fire started the fourth quarter on a 20-2 run that generated the score 54-72. With 2:16 remaining in the game, Bass started a 10-2 run with five consecutive points; a conventional three-point play at the line and a basket. In the run, McKee added a three-point basket that was capped off with a pair of free-throws from Smith to the score 64-74. However, the late offensive push from IC fell short to the Prairie Fire in this MWC matchup.
For the game, IC had four student-athletes finish with double-figure scoring marks led by Bass with 21 points as Wightman contributed 12 while Smith and McKee each added 11 points. Wightman led the Lady Blues in rebounding her career-best 19 rebounds while Patterson hauled down nine. As a team, IC scored 20 points on second chance opportunites while scoring 13 points off of Knox turnovers.
The Lady Blues will continue MWC play visiting the Foresters of Lake Forest College this Saturday, January 13 at 3:00 PM in Lake Forest, Illinois.
