by Eric Willuweit

Mequon, Wis. – The Illinois Tech women's basketball team couldn't buy a basket, and Concordia Wisconsin connected on every other shot as the Falcons overpowered the Scarlet Hawks 87-54 Saturday afternoon in Wisconsin. The Scarlet Hawks fell to 2-6 in NACC play and 4-10 overall. The Falcons improved to 7-2 in the conference and 8-6 overall.

The Scarlet Hawks struggled from the field, connecting on only 29% of their shots. Their touch behind the three-point line was even more of a challenge, hitting only 5 of 23 shots behind the arc, good for 22%.

Conversely, the Falcons shot 52.4% from the field, many of those within the paint, where Concordia Wisconsin held a 52-12 advantage. The Falcons also connected on 7 of 14 shots from three-point range.

First Half (Concordia Wisconsin 57 - Illinois Tech 17)

The Scarlet Hawks were tied at 2-2 with the Falcons one minute into the first quarter, but that turned out to be the closest the Hawks would get the rest of the game. Concordia Wisconsin outscored Illinois Tech 27-5 over the next nine minutes to take a 29-7 lead heading into the second quarter. The Falcons kept up the offensive onslaught into the second quarter, outscoring the Hawks 16-5 through the first five minutes for a 45-12 lead. Illinois Tech continued to struggle scoring, connecting on only 3 of their 17 shot attempts in the second quarter, and entered halftime trailing by 40 points. Kaya Jones led the Hawks in the half with seven points and three rebounds.

Second Half (Illinois Tech 37 – Concordia Wisconsin 30)

A Kaya Jones jumper three minutes into the third quarter capped off a modest 9-5 run for the Scarlet Hawks, giving them some offensive momentum for the first time in the game. The Falcons countered with an 11-7 run to close out the third frame, maintaining their 40-point advantage heading into the final quarter. A 10-5 run midway into the final stanza gave the Falcons their largest lead of the game at 83-38. Julia Bucci drained a three-pointer for the Scarlet Hawks with 14 seconds remaining in the game to complete a 16-4 run to end the game for Illinois Tech. Bucci led the Hawks with 10 points and two rebounds in the second half.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

• Bucci with 16 points and 4 rebounds, shooting 3-8 behind the arc.
• Kaya Jones finished with 13 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Falcons Watch

• Emily Hafeman led all Concordia Wisconsin scorers with 21 points, including 9-10 from the field.
• Aubrey Buchholtz added 15 points for the Falcons.

Inside the Box Score

• The Falcons bench provided a 37-13 advantage for the home team.
• One bright spot for the Scarlet Hawks: they were a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line, an area they have struggled in this season; the Falcons were 14 of 18. 
• Chloe Churilla was the minutes leader for the Scarlet Hawks with 31:51; Ava Booth led Concordia Wisconsin with 20:11 minutes played.

Up Next

• The Scarlet Hawks are back home this Wednesday, January 18, when they host the Alverno Inferno at 7:00 PM in a NACC matchup at the Keating Sports Center.