AVE MARIA, Fla.. - The Sunshine State welcomed No. 7 Indiana Wesleyan women's basketball to the hardwood Monday, for their first of two games in Florida. Their first matchup was with Ave Maria, about one hour from IWU's hotel in Marco Island. Despite struggling offensively, the Wildcats showed up on the defensive end, winning 72-58. It was the fewest points scored by Ava Maria in a game this season.

 

THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Ava Maria, Fla. | Donahue Gym
• Records: IWU - 10-3, 4-1 CRL | BU 10-2, 4-1 SUN
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #7 | AMU - Unranked

WHAT HAPPENED

• The first half proved to be a low-scoring affair, as IWU held a 33-26 lead heading into the break over the Gyrenes. Both teams shot poorly in the first half with Indiana Wesleyan tallying a 35% shooting percentage and Ace Maria shooting 32%.
• IWU knocked down four triples in the third quarter, matching their first-half total.  
• Indiana Wesleyan's defense forced 24 turnovers, the second most in a game for the Gyrenes this season. 

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 9 - How many first-half offensive rebounds the Gyrenes grabbed
• 16 - IWU's lead after three-quarters of play
• 40% - The Wildcats third lowest shooting performance of the season
• 4 - The most blocks in a game this season for IWU

KEY WILDCATS

• Jordan Reid - 15 points, 7 rebounds
• Lilli Frasure - 19 points, 3 assists, 1 steals, 7 rebounds
• Klair Merrell - 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 steals

NEXT TIME OUT

• IWU faces St. Thomas University (Fla.) tomorrow at 2 p.m. 

NEXT HOME GAME

• The Wildcats are back home on Dec. 30 at 3:30 p.m. against No. 16 University of Rio Grande.
• Individuals looking to attend can purchase tickets at IWUWildcats.com/Tickets

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