Chicago, Ill. - For their final game of the 2023-24 season, the Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks women's basketball team welcomed the Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders to the Keating Sports Center for a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) contest. A close contest from the start, the Hawks (5-19, 4-12) battled with the Raiders (18-7, 12-4) until the final buzzer. In the end, the Hawks were defeated by the No. 4 conference ranked Raiders 58-52. 

Before the game, the Hawks honored junior Julia Bucci with a game ball in honor of her 1,000th career point she recorded on January 24th against Aurora. The Hawks also honored Illinois Tech men's baseball player Sam Sproule for being a four year practice squad member, as well as a team photographer. 

First Half (MSOE 23 - Illinois Tech 29)

• The Raiders began the contest with a layup before Julia Bucci gave the Hawks their first lead of the game with a 3-pointer at the 7:59 mark. At 6:33, the Raiders went back ahead with a jumper. The two sides went on to be tied at 2:!9, their first tie of the contest, when Kaya Jones made a free throw, making the score 8-8. With 20 seconds on the clock, K. Jones made a jumper to put the Hawks ahead. The lead wouldn't last long though for the Hawks as with just six seconds left, the Raiders recorded a 3-pointer. At the end of the first quarter, the Raiders held a slight 11-10 lead over the Hawks. 

• Grace Goodnough began action immediately in the second quarter with a layup. At 9:00 remaining in the quarter, the Raiders went back ahead with a layup of their own. A scoreless streak followed that lasted from 8:59 till 7:03 when Bucci made a layup, putting the Hawks on top 14-13. Another scoreless streak followed until 5:31 when Goodnough made a jumper to extend the Hawks lead. During the remainder of the quarter, the two sides would be tied four times. The final tie came at 23-23 before the Hawks took the lead after two K. Jones free throws. The Hawks closed out the game with a 5-0 run, with all the points coming off free throws from K. Jones, Goodnough, and Berit Rusing. At halftime, the Hawks held a 6-point, 29-23 lead over the Raiders. 

Second Half (MSOE 35 - Illinois Tech 23)

• After halftime, the Raiders got the action going with a jumper at 9:41 before Bucci made a three at 9:20. At the 8:26 mark, the Raiders made a layup. Here the Hawks held a 34-29 lead. A three pointer at 5:21 by Bucci gave the Hawks a 9-point, 42-33 lead, their largest lead of the contest over the Raiders. Unfortunately for the Hawks, the Raiders closed out the quarter with a 9-0 run to tie up the contest. At the end of the third quarter, the Hawks and Raiders were tied at 42-42. 

• In the beginning of the fourth quarter, the Raiders recorded two layups while the Hawks made one. Between 8:04 and 6:14, neither side recorded a basket. The Raiders broke the scoreless streak at 6:13 with a jumper. Bucci went down the court and made a jumper of her own off a Ryell Sandifer assist. At 5:42, the Raiders made a layup, giving them a 50-46 lead. The visiting raiders then made a jumper at 5:05 before Abigail Marino made a three pointer at 4:40 to keep the Hawks within three. No basket was recorded until Allie Sillo tied the contest at 52-52 with a three pointer from the 2:18 mark. Unfortunately for the Hawks, they were unable to get any more offensive action going while the Raiders closed out the game with 6-points, giving the visitors the 58-52 victory over the Hawks. 

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Julia Bucci - 20 points, 8-of-19 from the field, 4-of-8 from three, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals

• Grace Goodnough - 10 points, 4-of-9 from the field, 2-of-2 from the free throw line, 8 rebounds, 2 assists

• Allie Sillo - 6 points, 2-of-8 from the field, 2-of-7 from three, 5 rebounds, 1 assist

• Kaya Jones - 6 points, 1-of-6 from the field, 4-of-6 from the free throw line, 2 rebounds, 5 assist, 2 steals

Raiders Standouts

• Mahima Chokshi - 20 points, 7-of-19 from the field, 1-of-6 from three, 5-of-7 from the free throw line, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, 3 steals

•  Dani Mendez - Double-double, 13 points, 3-of-8 from the field, 7-of-9 from the free throw line, 10 rebounds, 2 steals

• Halena Hill - 12 points, 5-of-20 from the field, 2-of-2 from the free throw line, 6 rebounds, 3 steals

Inside the Box Score

• The Hawks were 18-of-53 (34.0%) from the field, 7-of-25 (28.0%) from three, and 9-of-12 (75%) from the free throw line

• The Raiders were 20-of-74 (27.0%) from the field, 2-of-20 (10.0%) from three, and 16-of-22 (72.7%) from the free throw line

• The Raiders out-rebounded the Hawks 54-37

• The game saw 8 ties and 10 lead changes

• 22 of the Raiders points came in the paint

• 13 of the Hawks points came from turnovers

2023-24 Recap

The Hawks finished their 2023-24 season with a 5-19 overall record and a 4-12 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference record.

Throughout the season, the Hawks recorded the following stats: 1,387 total points, 57.8 points per game, 818 rebounds, 34.1 rebounds per game, 261 assists, 10.9 assists per game, 234 steals, 9.8 steals per game, 35 blocks, and 1.5 blocks per game. 

Julia Bucci led the Hawks with 368 total points, 15.3 points per game. Camden Joko followed with 203 points, 8.5 points per game. Kaya Jones was right behind her with 201 points, 8.4 points per game. Grace Goodnough led in rebounds with 129 total rebounds, 6.1 rebounds per game. Bucci followed with 106 total rebounds and 4.4 per game. Joko tallied 69 assist on the season for a 2.9 average. K. Jones was right behind her with 61 assists, 2.5 per game. Goodnough led the team with 14 blocks. K. Jones led with 45 steals followed by Bucci with 36. 

Bucci ranked third in the NACC in total points at the end of the regular season. 

Illinois Tech women's basketball will return in the winter of 2024



Julia Bucci - 1,000 Career Points Ball



Sam Sproule - 4 year practice squad/team photographer