Wightman Breaks Single-Season Blocks Record In Road Loss At Grinnell

GRINNELL, Iowa. - The Illinois College women's basketball team traveled to Grinnell College for a Midwest Conference rematch decision Wednesday evening at Darby Gymnasium. The Lady Blues battled the Pioneers but fell short by the final score of 63-78. IC now stands at 13-10 overall and in a two-way tie with Grinnell in the MWC standings with identical 8-6 conference records.   

At the 9:40 mark in the second quarter, IC's Ashlyn Wightman etched her name deeper into the IC record books as she broke the single-season blocks record with her 57th block of the season. Wightman shattered her own record of 56 blocks from last season as she now stands at 58 total blocks on the season. 

In addition, IC's Jayln Patterson displayed a career-best scoring performance as she led IC with 23 points while shooting 10-of-19 from the field while securing a team-high nine rebounds.   

On the first IC possession of the game, Patterson netted a corner three-point field goal that began the scoring. Shortly later, Maya Smith drained back-to-back three-point baskets as Anna McKee added a three-point basket to a one-point deficit at 12-13. The Pioneers countered with a 10-2 run that made the score 14-23. Patterson scored the final three IC points of the quarter as she converted a conventional three-point play. Grinnell took the 17-24 lead into the second.  

In the early stages of the second, IC and Grinnell exchanged baskets as the basket from Ashlyn Wightman put the deficit back to seven at 19-26. Midway through the quarter, Patterson paced with the baskets by Grinnell as she scored nine consecutive points for IC that kept the deficit at seven at 28-35. Smith and Wightman closed out the half shooting three-of-four from the free-throw line that generated the halftime deficit of 31-40.   

The Pioneers opened the third quarter on a 10-0 run that was eventually snapped on a basket by Patterson that made the score 33-50. After each team exchanged baskets to the score 35-55, IC responded with a 8-0 run started on a jump shot from Smith. In the run, Patterson added back-to-back baskets as Kendra Bass capped off the run with a basket in the paint that made the score 43-55. With four seconds remaining in the quarter, Bass cut the deficit to 11 at 46-57 as she converted a conventional three-point play. 

Grinnell began the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run that was eventually snapped on a jump shot by Bass that made the score 48-68. Shortly later, IC's Madison Webb started a 11-3 run with a three-point basket. Following to the basket by Webb, IC had four different student-athletes each contribute a basket that generated the score to 60-73. In the final two minutes of the game, Grinnell shot five-of-six from the free-throw line that sealed the victory.    

For the game, IC had three student-athlete finish in double-figure scoring led by Patterson with her career-best 23 points as Bass contributed 12 and Smith added 11. The Lady Blues were led in rebounding by Patterson with a game-high nine rebounds as Webb, Bass and Wightman each collected seven. As a team, IC out-rebounded the Pioneers 52-34 and outscored the Pioneers 23-8 in second chance opportunities. 

The Lady Blues return to Sherman Gymnasium this Saturday, February 10 facing the Foresters of Lake Forest College at 3:00PM for Senior Day.