DECATUR, Ill. – Mikaela Eppard's career-night of 39 points and 20 rebounds helped lead the Elmhurst women's basketball team past Millikin University.
 
Eppard matched her career-highs in both points scored and rebounds, and became the first Elmhurst player in school history to total 20 rebounds and score 30 or more points in the same game. She also established a new single-season CCIW record for field goals in a season with 147. 
 
With the win, Elmhurst secured the third seed in the upcoming CCIW Tournament and closed out the regular season with a 19-6 overall record and an 11-5 mark in the CCIW. The 19 wins is the most wins in a regular season since the 1985-86 squad posted a 24-3 record. The 11 CCIW wins is the most since the 1990-91 season when the team won 11.
 
Elmhurst struggled out of the gate against the Big Blue. After building a quick 8-1 lead, Millikin closed the half with a 23-11 run to open up a five-point cushion after the first quarter. The Bluejays trailed 32-27 midway through the second quarter before closing the half on a 13-6 run to take a 40-38 lead at the half.
 
The Bluejays came out on fire in the third quarter. Leading by three early in the quarter, Elmhurst ripped off an 18-5 over the next 5:30 to take a commanding 61-45 lead with four minutes left in the third. The Bluejays led by 14 points with 1:30 remaining in the quarter, but Millikin closed with a 5-0 run to cut Elmhurst's lead down to nine points after three quarters.
 
Millikin closed to within six points on three occasions in the fourth quarter, before Elmhurst put the game out reach. Leading 79-73 with just over four minutes remaining, Elmhurst closed the contest with a 15-6 run with Eppard scoring nine straight points to help fuel the closing run.
 
Eppard had a monster second-half, totaling 25 points and 12 rebounds over the game's final 20 minutes. She scored 15 points in the fourth quarter while helping the Bluejays cement the victory. She finished the contest shooting 16-of-22 from the floor and 6-of-8 from the free throw line while locking up the CCIW scoring title in the process.
 
Hannah Lipman added 14 points, nine rebounds and four assists while Kalia Summerlin also scored nine for Elmhurst. Lisa Logan and Becca Gerke totaled eight points apiece for the Bluejays.  The Bluejays shot 54.2 percent (32-of-59) from the floor and 53.8 percent (7-of-13) from downtown in the victory. Elmhurst won the battle inside, outrebounding Millikin 42-31 and outscoring the Big Blue 48-36 in the paint.
 
Millikin finished the season shooting 41.4 percent (29-of-70) from the floor, including 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from downtown. Devin Curry led Millikin with 21 points and six rebounds while Emily Shcultz scored 14. EC Thies finished with 12 while Yannis Saddle and Lauren Moses totaled 10 points apiece.
 
 
Elmhurst will face second-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University in the opening round of the CCIW Tournament on Friday, February 24 at Wheaton College. Wheaton owns the top-seed and will host fourth-seeded Augustana in the opening round.