Tiger women win back-to-back CAC Titles

LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Iowa Wesleyan women’s basketball team had an eventful week on the hardwood to say the least.

Not only did the Tigers win their second straight Continental Athletic Conference Tournament (CAC) title, they also punched their ticket to the NAIA National Tournament.

Iowa Wesleyan has yet a lose a CAC game in the two years they’ve been in the conference.

To earn the their NAIA Tournament berth, the No. 1 seeded Tigers dominated Bacone College 99-30 and Arkansas Baptist College, 75-49, while also earning a spot in the CAC title game against No. 2 seeded Haskell Indian Nations University.

The Tigers held off the Indians, 64-59, to win the CAC title.

To open the CAC title matchup, Iowa Wesleyan wasted no time making its mark.

A Maci Kuchta three kicked off a 12-0 run for a the Tigers from the opening jump to the 4:59 mark. That would be the Tigers largest lead of the game.

Haskell ended the run less than a minute later with a three from Miracle Spotted Bear.

The Tigers continued to hold the lead through the first period.

Iowa Wesleyan and Haskell traded threes and following a converted and one by the Indians, the Tigers lead was cut to four, 15-11, with 1:43 remaining.

Through the rest of quarter, Iowa Wesleyan built back an eight point advantage as Kyla Moore drop a three and Megan Teal hit a free throw to make it 19-11 after one.

Through the second, it was much of the same, but the Indians nearly grabbed the lead.

After a lay-in by the Indians to start the quarter made it 19-13, Moore buried yet another three to bring the game back to nine, 22-13, with 9:17 on the clock.

Over the next four minutes, the Indians never came as close as eight as the Tigers built up as large a lead as 11.

But at the 5:12 mark, Haskell started a run.

From 5:12 to 4:17, the Indian hit a pair of threes and two free throws to make it just a one point game, 27-26.

Haskell got it to one once again at 29-28, with 3:21 to go, but Iowa Wesleyan was able to stave the charge.

The Tigers ended the second on a 8-0 run to bring the game back to nine, 37-28.

To start the second half, Haskell once again made a run at the Tigers lead.

Over the first two minutes of the third period, the Indians outscored the Tigers, 9-2, to make it just a two point game, 39-37.

Iowa Wesleyan answered back with a Teal three and an Isabell West layup to push the Tigers lead back to seven, 44-37, with just five minutes to go, but much like the start the Indians ended strong.

Haskell in the final five minutes scored eight unanswered to take its first lead of the game, 45-44.

In the fourth, the Indians built as large as a three-point lead, 47-44, but the Tigers never let it get out of hand.

With 6:57 left in the final, Breanna Wendland hit a pair from the stripe to tie the game at 48.

After trading the lead once, Wendland buried a three to put the Tigers on top for good, 53-51, with 5:54 to go.

Haskell got it back down to three at 57-54 with 3:18 remaining and five twice in the final 1:10, but the Tigers were able to hang on for the CAC title.

West led the Tigers with 25 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks in the win. Moore finished with 14 points. Wendland ended with 11. Kuchta had seven points and five steals. Teal had four and Brielle Baker finished with three.

Iowa Wesleyan now sits at 23-6 overall and 11-0 in conference play. The Tigers will find out their NAIA National Tournament placement on Thursday.