Elsah Ill. — Illinois Tech women's basketball opened their 2025-26 season on Friday night in their opening game against Spalding(KY) in the Laura Williams Memoria Classic, hosted by Principia College. The Scarlet Hawks were in the game through the first three quarters, trailing only by two points at the end of three. But the Golden Eagles used a 21-11 fourth quarter run to pull away and win the game 70-58. Illinois Tech dropped to 0-1 overall after the loss, while the Golden Eagles improved to 1-0 on the season.

How It Happened

The first quarter saw a tight contest between Illinois Tech and Spalding, with the visitors narrowly leading by the end. Spalding's Nicole Hollowell opened the scoring with a free throw, while Uma Peters quickly responded with a three-pointer to give Illinois Tech an early lead. Spalding's Mya Bennett and Gabby Douglass contributed to a scoring surge that put their team ahead 12-3 midway through the quarter. Illinois Tech cut the deficit to three with a late layup by Chloe Churilla, bringing the score to 24-21 in favor of the Golden Eagles at the end of the quarter.

Illinois Tech edged ahead in a tightly contested second quarter, finishing with a 15-11 advantage over the Golden Eagles. Grace Goodnough's early jumper, assisted by Berit Rusing, gave Illinois Tech a narrow lead at 24-23 just 27 seconds into the quarter. The Golden Eagles responded with a quick layup by Brooke McNeal, assisted by Nicole Hollowell, to regain the lead at 26-23 with 8:39 remaining. However, Illinois Tech surged back with a critical three-pointer by Nerea Del Olmo Perez at 1:59, assisted by Camden Joko, pushing the home team ahead 34-33. Goodnough further extended the lead with a layup at 1:41, closing the quarter with Illinois Tech holding a 36-35 advantage.

In the third quarter, the Golden Eagles managed to pull ahead with a narrow margin, outscoring Illinois Tech 14-11. Brooke McNeal contributed significantly for Spalding, making a layup at 8:03 to give them a 37-36 lead, followed by another layup at 5:41, assisted by Gabby Douglass, to extend the visitor's lead to 39-36. Illinois Tech's Chloe Churilla responded with a layup at 4:53, narrowing the gap to 39-38. Ma'Kaylia Lute's three-pointer with 15 seconds remaining put Spalding ahead 49-47, and Berit Rusing's final jumper attempt for Illinois Tech missed the mark, sealing the quarter for the Golden Eagles.

The Golden Eagles pulled away in the fourth quarter, outscoring Illinois Tech 21-11 to secure a 70-58 victory. Ne'Vaeh Raphael's layup at 7:53, assisted by A'Nieja Russell, widened Spalding's lead to 51-47. Gabby Douglass added to the momentum with a jumper at 7:07, extending the lead further. Illinois Tech's Grace Goodnough responded with a series of layups, narrowing the gap to 60-56 with 2:32 remaining. However, a late steal and layup by Ma'Kaylia Lute, followed by free throws, sealed the win for the Golden Eagles.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Chloe Churilla
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- 15 points
- 3 assists
- 10 rebounds

Grace Goodnough
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- 12 points
- 6/11 field goals made
- 6 rebounds

Berit Rusing
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- 10 points
- 5 steals
- 6 rebounds

Spalding Top Performers

Gabby Douglass
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- 20 points
- 6 assists
- 6 steals
- 8 rebounds

Zaneiya Batiste
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- 10 points
- 21 rebounds

Ma'Kaylia Lute
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- 12 points
- 3 3-pointers

Game Notes:
- Chloe Churilla was named the player of the game for the Scarlet Hawks by the tournament with her 15 point, 10 rebound, 3 assist performance.
- Illinois Tech is now 0-2 lifetime against the Golden Eagles, with the first loss taking place in 2015.
- Spalding held a 33-13 advantage over Illinois Tech in points off the bench.

Up Next
Illinois Tech will face host Principia College on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 3 p.m. in Elsah, Illinois, in the Scarlet Hawks finale in the Laurie Williams Memorial Classic.