Box Score
MARION, Ind. -- The Indiana Wesleyan University women?s basketball team had to endure a Taylor (Ind.) University second half comeback attempt to produce a 65-56 victory in the Mid-Central College Conference semifinals on Friday night in Luckey Arena.
With the victory, IWU will travel to Mishawaka, Indiana to play top-seeded Bethel (Ind.) College in the MCC championship game. Bethel defeated No. 4-seed Huntington (Ind.) University on Friday night by a 70-55 margin. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on Monday, March 3.
Taylor (17-14) opened the contest with the first two points coming via free throws. But Indiana Wesleyan exploded over the next nine minutes with an 18-2 run to take a commanding 18-4 lead halfway through the opening period.
The Trojans responded with a small run of their own as Taylor scored 10 of the next 13 points in the contest to cut into the Wildcat lead (21-14).
Indiana Wesleyan (28-4) did not allow Taylor to get any closer in the half as the Wildcats scored the next six points to cushion their advantage to 13 points. IWU led 27-14 with 5:50 before the half.
IWU took a 31-20 advantage into intermission. The Wildcats maintained the 11 point lead behind a staunch defensive effort. Indiana Wesleyan held the Trojans to just 28.6-percent (6 of 21) shooting in the opening stanza.
Taylor opened the second half with six of the first eight points to narrow the Indiana Wesleyan lead to 33-26 and 16 minutes left to play.
Indiana Wesleyan countered with seven unanswered points to match their largest lead of the game at 14 points (40-26) with 14 minutes left on the clock.
After Indiana Wesleyan built their largest lead of the game at 44-29, Taylor responded with nine straight points as IWU led 44-38 with less than nine minutes to play.
Taylor quickly pulled within one possession as Indiana Wesleyan led 47-45 with seven and a half minutes to go. The Wildcats answered the call with five straight points to force Taylor to call a time out as IWU led 52-45 with five minutes to play.
Indiana Wesleyan finished the last five minutes very strong as the Wildcats? lead never dipped below six points the rest of the game to clinch a spot in the MCC championship game.
The Wildcats shot a productive 52.3-percent (23 of 44) for the night as the Trojans ended at 35.6-percent (16 of 45). Indiana Wesleyan out-rebounded the visitors 32-25.
Indiana Wesleyan senior center Lisa Thompson led the Wildcats with a team-high 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Senior guard Brooke Amstutz and freshman guard Kayla Thompson each added 13 points in the winning effort.
Taylor?s Paige Rudolph led all scorers with 20 points.
