Contact: Rachel Balinao, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, rabalinao@noctrl.edu

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Jan. 31, 2026) -  For the final stop of a four-game road stretch, the North Central College women's basketball team traveled to No. 19 Illinois Wesleyan University for a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin match-up, falling 71-80 on Saturday. 

Jocelyn Trotter opened the game by fueling the Cardinals with a defensive rebound and a jumper on the opening possession, assisted by Ameli Sanchez. Illinois Wesleyan began 0-for-2 from beyond the arc before converting its first field goal to tie the score at 2-2. North Central answered with a five-point run, highlighted by a three-pointer from Grace Kieffer and a jumper from Sanchez to take a 7-2 lead. Biz Daly made her presence felt defensively with a block on a Titans driving layup.

The teams traded baskets throughout the opening quarter before North Central pulled away behind an offensive surge from Sanchez. Sanchez knocked down a three-pointer and added a pair of free throws to extend the Cardinals' lead to 21-13. Alaya Redditt capped the quarter with a layup off a pass from Cate Uhren, sending North Central into the second quarter ahead 23-17. 

Trotter opened the second quarter with a layup off an assist from Kieffer as the Cardinals pushed their lead back to eight. North Central built its advantage to as many as 15 after Kennedy Hartwig buried a three and Redditt converted another layup, making it 34-19. Illinois Wesleyan responded by cutting the deficit to nine with a pair of free throws. 

Hartwig was fouled on a three-point attempt and went a perfect 3-for-3 at the line to keep the lead at 12. A three-pointer from Ava Bardic brought the Titans back within nine with under two minutes remaining in the half. Illinois Wesleyan continued to close the gap with a jumper and two layups to head into halftime trailing 41-36.

Dolly Smith opened the second half with a layup in the paint before Sanchez recorded a steal and found Daly for a layup to make it 45-36. After a scoreless stretch of nearly three minutes, Sawyer White and Caitlin Leyden hit back-to-back jumpers to pull the Titans within five. Illinois Wesleyan used free throws to cut the deficit to one, 45-44.

The Titans surged ahead by six before the Cardinals ended their scoring drought with 1:30 remaining in the third quarter when Smith converted a pair of free throws. Hartwig followed by hitting free throws of her own to bring North Central within two. Trotter tied the game at 51, but Bardic answered with a layup to give Illinois Wesleyan a 51-53 lead heading into the final period.

Illinois Wesleyan opened the fourth quarter with two layups to extend to a lead of six. Daly answered with a layup, but the Titans responded with a three-pointer and tip-in to push the advantage to 11. Natalie Doyle provided a spark for North Central with a tip-in layup followed by a jumper from Trotter to make it 57-66.

Kieffer drained a three to pull the Cardinals within six and later added another triple off an assist from Sanchez to make it a five-point game at 67-72. Illinois Wesleyan answered with consecutive layups and maintained control down the final stretch. Kieffer knocked down her fourth three-pointer of the night in the final three minutes, but the Titans closed the game with a layup and free throws to secure the 71-80 victory.

Trotter was the leading scorer for North Central with 16 points, four rebounds and four steals, while shooting 7-for-10 from the field. Sanchez followed with 14 points, and Kieffer finished with 12 points, three rebounds, shooting 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. 

Illinois Wesleyan shot 50.0% from the field compared to North Central's 39.3%. The Cardinals went 94.1% from the free throw line, while the Titans finished a perfect 100%. The game featured one lead change and was tied four times. 

North Central returns home Wednesday, Feb. 4, for a 7 p.m. tip-off inside Gregory Arena against Augustana College in celebration of National Girls and Women in Sports Day and Naperville Park Districts Youth Day.