SPRING ARBOR, MI. - No. 2 Indiana Wesleyan women's basketball survived a late scare on Wednesday evening, defeating Spring Arbor 62-58. The Wildcats saw a double-digit lead evaporate in the final two minutes, but four straight made free throws from Taylor Folkema and Izzy Reed secured the victory.

THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Spring Arbor, MI. | McDonald Athletic Center
• Records: IWU: 23-0, 13-0 | SAU: 15-8, 8-5
• NAIA Top-25 Rankings: IWU - #2 | SAU - NR

WHAT HAPPENED

• The Wildcats fell behind 11-3 early in the first, but battled back the rest of the quarter to trail by just 4.
• The Cougars got another quick start to a quarter, pushing their lead to 9 just a few minutes into the second. IWU fought back again, taking a brief 2 point lead and went into half tied after a Spring Arbor buzzer beater.
• After both teams struggled to find consistent offense to start the second half, a three from Brea Garber and 2 free throws from Izzy Reed gave the Wildcats a 2 point lead after three quarters.
• Indiana Wesleyan led for the duration of the fourth quarter, building their lead to as much as 11 with 2:13 left in the game. The Cougars ripped off a 10-2 run, but a pair of clutch free throws from Reed ended the comeback attempt.

NOTABLE NUMBERS

• 3: Despite the victory, Indiana Wesleyan was beat in three categories that they normally dominate. SAU held advantages in points off turnovers, second chance points, and points in the paint.
• 19: The Wildcat bench helped IWU overcome those deficits by outscoring the Cougar bench 19-2.
• 3: The red and gray defense held the Crossroads League leader in points per game to just 3 points in the second half after giving up 13 in the first. The bucket came with 14 seconds left in the game.

KEY WILDCATS

• Taylor Folkema: 16 points, 7-14 FG, 4 blocks
• Maddie Lawrence: 11 points, 4-9 FG, 7 rebounds, 2 steals
• Jade Nutley: 9 points, 3-3 3PT

LOOKING AHEAD

• IWU is back in Luckey on February 8th to face No. 14 USF at 1:00 PM
• Links for video and live stats will be available at IWUWildcats.com
• Tickets can be purchased at IWUWildcats.com

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