ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst women's basketball team scored the games' first 12 points en route to a 77-55 win over North Central College at R.A. Faganel Hall.
 
Elmhurst upped its record to 9-8 overall and a 5-3 in the CCIW with the win while North Central slid to 4-13 overall and 2-6 in league play.
 
The Bluejays started quickly as North Central struggled out of the gate. Elmhurst scored the game's first 12 points before North Central got on the scoreboard. The Bluejays scored the final 10 points of the quarter to carry a 20-2 lead into the second. The Cardinals shot just 1-of-20 in the opening 10 minutes of action.
 
North Central outscored Elmhurst 17-15 in the second half while shooting 4-of-14 in the quarter and 6-of-9 from the foul line. The Cardinals cut the Bluejays lead down to 18 points (37-19) at the half.
 
The Cardinals came as close as 15 points early in the third quarter but back-to-back three-pointers from Kelly Weyhrich quickly pushed the Bluejays' lead back over 20 points. Elmhurst led by 19 (56-37) entering the fourth quarter. The Cardinals cut the Bluejays' lead down to 13 early in the fourth quarter on a Mayson Whipple three-pointer, but the Bluejays scored the next six points to open up a 22-point lead with seven minutes remaining. The Bluejays led by as many as 25 points before coasting to the 22-point victory.
 
Elmhurst finished the game shooting 40.3 percent (29-of-72) from the floor, including 36.7 percent (11-of-30) from three-point distance. The Bluejays controlled the glass, outrebounding North Central 52-41 and scoring 15 second-chance points off of 18 offensive rebounds. The Bluejays also took advantage of the Cardinals' 24 turnovers, scoring 25 points off of NCC's giveaways.
 
Mikaela Eppard led Elmhurst in the win with a double-double of 24 points and 16 rebounds, both game highs. Weyhrich added 12 points while Hannah Henderson scored 10 to go with seven rebounds and five steals. Kaela Jones came off the bench to score nine while Jasmin Bailey finished with eight points and five assits.
 
North Central finished the contest shooting 25.4 percent (15-of-59) from the field, including 32.0 percent (8-of-25) from long distance. Whipple paced North Central in the loss with 12 points while Lyndsay Brennan scored nine.
 
Elmhurst plays at Carroll University on Wednesday, January 24.