Box Score

DECATUR, Ill. - The Elmhurst College women's basketball team used a second half surge to score a 56-47 win over Millikin University in the Bluejays' first CCIW game of the season.

The victory was Elmhurst's second straight against Millikin after snapping a 33-game losing streak to the Big Blue last season.

Elmhurst (8-4, 1-0 CCIW) fell behind by six early in the first half, but the Bluejays battled backed and led 24-22 at halftime after Lyndsie Long knocked down a 3-pointer with 38 seconds left.

Trailing by one early in the second half, Millikin (6-6,0-1 CCIW) rattled off seven straight points to take a 36-30 lead with 12 minutes. 

The Bluejays responded with a 19-7 run to open up a 49-43 lead with just six minutes left on the clock. Millikin managed just two buckets in the final six minutes as Elmhurst pulled away for the 56-47 victory. The Bluejays outscored Millikin 26-11 in the game's final 12 minutes.

Long led all scorers with a game-high 18 points while shooting 7-of-11 from the floor. She added eight rebounds in three assists in the win. Kelsey Monroe came off the bench to total 12 points and a team-leading six assists. Monroe scored all 12 of her points in the second half while shooting 3-of-4 from beyond the arc as Elmhurst pulled away. Meghan Merklein added 10 points and six rebounds while Rashida Joiner totaled eight points for the Bluejays.

Millikin outshot Elmhurst 42.0 percent (21-of-50) to 38.5 percent (20-of-52) from the floor, but the Big Blue struggled from downtown (1-of-7 for 14.3 percent) and from the foul line (4-of-9 for 44.4 percent). After hitting just 1-of-8 3-point attempts in the first half, the Bluejays connected on 4-of-6 attempts in the game's final 20 minutes. The Bluejays shot 84.6 percent (11-of-13) from the charity stripe.

Millikin was led by Elise Wildman's 15-point, nine-rebound performance. Crystal Ziegler added 12 points and Cecily Aldridge scored nine for the Big Blue in the loss. 

Elmhurst hosts Augustana College on Saturday, January 9.