Olivet's rebounding woes continue in loss to Illinois Wesleyan
Posted: Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Olivet Nazarene - 66
Illinois Wesleyan - 87
Box Score
Fueled by six double-digit scorers, Illinois Wesleyan University overpowered Olivet in a Tuesday matchup at McHie Arena.
Holly Wiersema (Rockford, Ill.) led the Tigers (15-11) with 19 points, while Brooke Peterson (Arlington Heights, Ill.) and Lexie Heinold (Washington, Ill.) each chipped in 12. But it was not enough, as the undefeated Titans (23-0) countered with offensive firepower of their own. Offensive rebounding, combined with their sharp shooting, spelled defeat for the Tigers.
After breaking the 8-8 tie at the 17:15 mark in the first half, IWU never surrendered the lead. IWU shot 38.9% (35-90) on the evening, while 24 offensive rebounds by the Titans, compared to only 9 by the Tigers, made the difference.
“We got beat bad on the boards,” said Olivet coach Doug Porter. “Their offensive rebounding was the key.”
Down just 34-38 at the break, the Tigers would not cut into the lead anymore. Turnovers overshadowed the Tigers, as they committed a total of 33 in the game. Jaimie Buckman (Morton, Ill.), Poppy Miller (New Haven, Ind.), and Peterson all had eight boards, while Jade Stanlick (Edwardsville, Ill.) had 9 assists in the losing effort.
The Tigers look to take action again this Saturday at McHie arena. The women will take on conference foe Robert Morris College. In the two teams' previous meeting on January 17, the Tigers took the victory with a final score of 117-100. Gametime is set for 1:00 p.m.
Amanda Jensen
Women's Sports Information Director
