CHICAGO, Ill. - Mikaela Eppard recorded her third double-double of the season as the Elmhurst women's basketball team defeated Wartburg 71-65. 
 

Eppard led all players in scoring (24) and rebounding (16), while shooting 11-of-19 from the field. Elmhurst (4-1) outrebounded the Knights (2-1) 46-28 in the victory. 

The two teams played a high-scoring first quarter that included four ties and six lead changes. Wartburg pulled ahead 9-4 in the first four minutes by limiting Elmhurst to 1-for-5 from the field and forcing four Bluejay turnovers. Elmhurst bounced back with points on three consecutive possessions, including a Kaela Jones three-pointer to take its first lead at 11-9. The two teams traded baskets for the rest of the quarter and Wartburg took a 22-20 advantage into the first break. 

Elmhurst's defense stepped up in the second quarter as the Bluejays limited Wartburg to 11 points on 4-of-13 from the field. The Bluejays held the Knights scoreless for five-and-a-half minutes, which led to an 11-0 run. Wartburg answered with a Miranda Murphy five-point solo run and two late Kristie Sommer free throws, cutting the deficit to five at halftime. 
 

Elmhurst pushed its lead back to double-digits with an 11-4 half-opening run, which included a steal and bucket by Hannah Lipman. Eppard capped the run with a three-point play, pushing the Bluejays' advantage to 12. In the quarter, Eppard scored 13 of Elmhurst's 17 points, including the team's final nine. Once again, Wartburg crawled back into the game, coming as close as five, and Elmhurst entered the final quarter with a six-point advantage. 

In the fourth, the Knights pulled within one on two different occasions, but the Bluejays never relinquished the lead. Wartburg pulled to 55-54 with two free throws, but Hannah Henderson answered with a three-pointer and Claire Monroe added a layup to extend the Bluejay lead. With 1:35 to play, Kailey Kladivo made a jumper to bring the Kights within one at 62-61, but Eppard made a layup and then grabbed a crucial offensive rebound with 32 seconds left in regulation to force Wartburg to foul. Eppard, Lipman, and Lisa Logan combined for 5-of-6 from the free throw stripe down the stretch to seal the game for Elmhurst. 

Lipman joined Eppard in double-figures with 15 points, while Jones (nine) and Logan (eight) also gave solid contributions offensively. Led by Jones and Logan, the Elmhurst bench outscored the opposition 25-8. Elmhurst also outscored Wartburg 38-28 in the paint, including a combined 32-12 in the second and third quarters. 

Wartburg led the turnover battle 18-14 and had four players reach double figures. Katie Sommer led the way with 16 points, while her sister Kristie added 12. 

Elmhurst continues the North Park University Thanksgiving Tournament with a matchup against Denison University tomorrow (Sunday, November 29) at 12:00 p.m. The Big Red defeated North Park 63-58 in overtime on day one.