October 2022
The Indiana Wesleyan University women’s basketball team opened the 2022-23 season with a dominating 40-point win over IU-East. The Wildcats were locked in defensively, forcing 28 Red Wolves turnovers.
The Red Wolves kept it close early thanks to efficient shooting from beyond the arc and at the free-throw line. The deficit for IU-East was just three points (21-18) after one quarter of play.
Indiana Wesleyan opened the second quarter on a 13-2 run and never looked back, as their smothering defense created offensive opportunities all night long.
“We always come into games just wanting to have pressure on the ball, just make it hard for the other team, and defense always leads to offense, so we just always try to stay connected and play our hardest on D,” said sophomore guard Lilli Frasure.
The Wildcats had a balanced attack offensively. Five players scored in double figures, led by junior forward Jordan Reid with 19 points.
Wildcats’ Head Coach Ethan Whaley was pleased with the team’s effort. “I thought we played extremely hard,” Whaley said. “We played through physicality, and then defensively again I thought we really applied force and pressure to the ball for 40 minutes.”
The atmosphere in Luckey Arena was electric, as this was the first home basketball game, men’s or women’s, for this season.
“It was really exciting,” freshman student Cyrus Myers said. “It was just fun to see them compete.”
Indiana Wesleyan will look to build on their opening night success in a showdown on the road with defending national champion and No. 1 ranked team in the country, Thomas More University, on Monday night.