MARION, Ind. -- Two highly ranked teams competed today in the final game of the 2014 Leah Whittaker Memorial Classic in Luckey Arena as No. 12-ranked Cardinal Stritch (Wis.) defeated No. 3-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University women’s basketball 62-60.

“They are a very well coached team,” said IWU head coach Steve Brooks. “They play incredibly hard.”

Indiana Wesleyan never held a lead in the opening half and trailed by as many as eight points. IWU closed the gap and eventually tied the score 27-27 on a Jessica Stewart (JR/Fishers, Ind.) basket with 1:27 left in the half. But Cardinal Stritch scored the final four points of the half to lead 31-27 at intermission.

The Wildcats gained their first lead of the day on an Emma Stahl (SR/Elkhart, Ind.) free throw with 17:41 left in the game. The advantage was short lived as the Wolves regained the lead at the 15 minute mark. The basket ignited a 16-4 Wolves run as they built a 48-38 lead with 8:33 remaining.

Cardinal Stritch held a 54-44 lead with 6:15 to play as Indiana Wesleyan mounted a final comeback attempt. A 10-3 Indiana Wesleyan run closed the gap to 57-54 with 2:27 read on the clock. IWU was within three points on three different occasions, the last coming at 61-58 with 24 seconds to play.

Indiana Wesleyan fouled with 15 seconds left and Maranda Huibregtse hit one of two for a 62-58 lead. Jessica Brown (JR/Greenfield, Ind.) rushed the ball down the court and scored to make it 62-60 with four seconds left. Brown then fouled before the ball was inbounded and Huibregtse missed both free throw attempts. IWU had no timeouts remaining so Kelsey Key (SO/Anderson, Ind.) grabbed the rebound and made it to half court. Her heave drew iron but did not fall as Cardinal Stritch pulled off the upset 62-60.

“Indiana Wesleyan beat Indiana Wesleyan today,” said Brooks. “We had opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of. When you give up 27 points from the 3-point line with nine 3-pointers, that’s not playing the kind of game that we want to play. We didn’t respond. They got open looks and him them.”

Cardinal Stritch hit 9-of-16 (56.3-percent) from beyond the arc. Indiana Wesleyan could not hit their deep shots as they were just 5-of-18 (27.8-percent). IWU also struggled from the free throw line as they hit only 7-of-15 (46.7-percent).

“We go to the free throw line 15 times and we make seven,” continued Brooks. “That’s unacceptable. If you think you’re going to be a championship team you don’t play like that.”

“It’s only game four. The lesson can be learned early and hopefully help us, if we’ll learn. That is going to be the biggest question of this day is if we can learn from this experience so we don’t reproduce it.”

Indiana Wesleyan next plays at the Oklahoma Wesleyan Classic on November 14-15. The two games will be played in Bartlesville, Oklahoma.