MARION, Ind. -- The Indiana Wesleyan University women?s basketball team broke Southwestern Oklahoma?s (1983-84) NAIA record with their 48th consecutive victory on Saturday afternoon with a victory over visiting Spring Arbor (Mich.) University, 71-54.

The Wildcats open the 2007-08 season with 10 straight wins after compiling a 38-0 record a year ago to break another NAIA record.

Indiana Wesleyan earned the record on the same day the school raised the 2006-07 women?s basketball NAIA Division II national championship banner. The entire 2006-07 team was in attendance to witness the record breaking game.

IWU jumped out to an early 8-2 lead four and a half minutes into the contest. But less than two minutes later the Cougars tied the score at 8-8. Two straight Indiana Wesleyan baskets gave the Wildcats a 13-8 lead with just under 12 minutes left in the half.

Spring Arbor (4-7, 0-2 MCC) answered with a 7-0 run to capture their first lead of the game at 15-13. The Cougars? lead was short lived however as senior Lisa Thompson scored 28 seconds later to tie the score. Thompson ended the day with 18 points and eight rebounds.

After a Wildcat stop on the defensive end of the floor, freshman Kayla Thompson nailed a three-pointer to give IWU an 18-15 lead. Thompson scored 16 points in the contest, with 11 coming in the second half.

Indiana Wesleyan (10-0, 2-0 MCC) would not trail the rest of the game.

The Wildcats completed the opening half on a 15-1 run to grab momentum heading into the locker room with a 28-16 advantage.

Spring Arbor made a charge in the opening three minutes of the second half as the Cougars scored nine of the half?s first 11 points to cut the Wildcat lead to five points at 30-25.

Indiana Wesleyan quickly responded with a 14-2 run over the next three and a half minutes, highlighted by Kayla Thompson?s three 3-pointers. The Wildcats were in control of the game with a 44-27 lead and were never threatened again.

The Wildcats pushed their lead to as many as 22 points (60-38) before settling for the 71-57 victory.

Indiana Wesleyan shot 48.1-percent (25 of 52) for the contest while holding Spring Arbor to 38.3-percent (18 of 47) shooting.

The Wildcats return to action on December 14-15 in Mishawaka, Indiana as IWU takes part in the MCC/WHAC Challenge.