Mequon, Wis. - A combination of cold shooting and early foul trouble sent the Illinois Tech women's basketball team into a nine-point deficit after one quarter of play Saturday afternoon against host Concordia Wisconsin. Despite recovering to play much closer in the second and third quarters, the Scarlet Hawks were never able to overcome their slow start, falling to the Falcons 67-44. The Scarlet Hawks fell to 2-4 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, and 3-11 overall. The Falcons improved to 4-2 in the NACC, and 7-7 overall.
The Falcons bench scoring proved to be a key component for their victory, as they outscored the Scarlet Hawks 30-3.
First Half (Concordia Wisconsin 27 - Illinois Tech 16)
A 13-2 run by the Falcons to start the first quarter set the tone for the game, and put the Scarlet Hawks on their heels. The Hawks wound up outscoring the Falcons 6-4 over the remainder of the opening frame, but trailed by 9 points heading into the second quarter. Both teams struggled from the field in the second quarter, with Concordia Wisconsin edging the Scarlet Hawks 10-8 to go into halftime with an 11-point lead. Chloe Churilla led the Hawks with 7 points in the first half.
Second Half (Concordia Wisconsin 40 - Illinois Tech 28)
A pair of Kaya Jones free throws at the 4:34 mark of the third quarter trimmed the Scarlet Hawks deficit to single digits at 8 points. But the Falcons countered with a 9-4 run to close out the third quarter leading 43-30. Concordia Wisconsin would carry that momentum into the final quarter, using a 24-10 run to put the game out of reach. Julia Bucci led the Hawks with 10 points in the second half.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Stars Watch
- Erin Viergutz led all scorers with 15 points, while pulling down 7 rebounds, collecting 3 assists and 2 blocks.
- Gracie McNabb with 14 points.
Inside The Box Score
- Concordia Wisconsin held a 30-16 advantage in points in the paint.
- Despite the margin of defeat, the Scarlet Hawks continued to reduce their turnovers significantly below their season average, with 12 for the game compared to 18 for the Falcons.
Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks will return to the Keating Center on Wednesday, when they host Concordia Chicago at 7:00 PM in another NACC conference matchup.
