Chicago, Ill — Illinois Tech Women's Basketball was back in action this afternoon at the Keating Sports Center, falling to Milwaukee School of Engineering  68-57. Illinois Tech's record now stands at 2-9 overall and 1-3 in NACC play, while MSOE boasts a strong 8-2 overall and 3-0 in the conference.

How It Happened

The game kicked off with Illinois Tech encountering early pressure as MSOE's Lana Kerley quickly sank a layup and a free throw, putting MSOE up 3-0. The Scarlet Hawks answered with a three-pointer from Camden Joko, assisted by Grace Goodnough, bringing the score to 5-5. After a brief MSOE run, Chloe Churilla ignited a comeback for Illinois Tech with back-to-back layups around the 3:26 mark, bringing them within one. However, Elly Kohl's fastbreak layup with just over two minutes remaining pushed MSOE to a narrow 15-14 lead by the close of the first quarter.

In the second quarter, Illinois Tech's Amanda Wang nailed a three-pointer at 8:35 to give the Scarlet Hawks the lead. MSOE quickly countered with a three from Kohl, tying it at 18-18. The visitors kept the pressure on, with Shelby Glodowski's layup at 6:29 nudging MSOE ahead 20-19. Despite strong efforts, including a layup by Berit Rusing with 43 seconds left, MSOE surged ahead with a three-pointer from Maggie Lewandowski and a layup by Gina Falls, closing the half with a 37-28 advantage.

The third quarter saw Illinois Tech struggling to match MSOE's pace, as the visitors outscored them 16-10. Joko delivered an early spark with a three-pointer at 9:45, narrowing the gap to six points. However, MSOE's Kerley responded decisively with a three-pointer and layup, widening their lead. Despite Rusing's contributions of four points, Illinois Tech grappled with turnovers. MSOE's Lewandowski sealed the quarter with a layup, leaving the Scarlet Hawks trailing by 15.

MSOE's Kerley opened the fourth with a three-pointer and layup, stretching their lead to 58-38. Illinois Tech's Wang responded with a three-pointer at 8:01, but MSOE held firm. Glodowski added a layup and free throw, giving MSOE a 63-41 lead midway through. Goodnough made her mark for Illinois Tech with a series of late layups, but MSOE secured the 68-57 win.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Berit Rusing
- 14 points
- 8 rebounds
- 6 field goals made

Grace Goodnough
- 12 points
- Perfect 5/5 from the field
- 3 assists

Chloe Churilla
- 13 points
- 8 rebounds
- 5/9 free throws made

Amanda Wang
- 9 points
- 3 3-pointers

MSOE Top Performers

Lana Kerley
- 21 points
- 8/13 field goals
- 6 rebounds

Shelby Glodowski
- 17 points
- 5 rebounds
- 4 assists

Elly Kohl
- 11 points
- 3 3-pointers
- 2 steals

Game Notes:
- Amanda Wang achieved a career-high with 9 points.
- Berit Rusing recorded a season-high with 14 points.

Up next
Illinois Tech heads to Aurora University on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. in Aurora, Illinois.