Diynasti Dowell IWU
Photo courtesy of IWU Athletics
66
Winner Ind.- Wesleyan IWU 1-0
54
Aquinas AQUINAS 1-1
Winner
Ind.- Wesleyan IWU
1-0
66
Final
54
Aquinas AQUINAS
1-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ind.- Wesleyan IWU 13 14 25 14 66
Aquinas AQUINAS 10 13 12 19 54

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | DJ Foster, Assistant AD for Communications & Marketing

Aquinas Stopped by Indiana Wesleyan in Home Opener, 66-54

IWU used a strong third quarter to slow down the Saints in the early-season battle

A pair of teams just outside the NAIA Top-25 met in Grand Rapids on Monday night (Oct. 28) in the Aquinas women's basketball home opener. One tough quarter was enough for visiting Indiana Wesleyan to pull away from the Saints, as the Wildcats left with a tough 66-54 victory.

AQ (1-1) was coming off of a low-scoring 46-43 win at Goshen last Wednesday (Oct. 23), while Monday's contest was the season opener for Indiana Wesleyan (1-0). The Wildcats sit one spot ahead of Aquinas in the NAIA Top-25 Preseason Poll, as both teams are among the first five teams listed in the 'Receiving Votes' category.

In a game decided by a dozen points, it was a 25-12 advantage for Indiana Wesleyan in the third quarter that swung the game in its favor. IWU held a slight 27-23 lead at halftime before opening the second half with the big surge. AQ was unable to get the deficit down to single digits in the fourth quarter of the non-conference battle.

A pair of Saints playing their first games in the Sturrus Center led Aquinas in scoring. Diynasti Dowell tied for game-high scoring honors with 14 points on 6-10 shooting in just 18 minutes on the floor. She made both three-point tries and added three boards. Jaylynn Williams went 5-13 from the field and posted 13 points and three assists.

Destini Lewis recorded eight points and Daz'Sha Day tallied seven points and three steals. Jayda Smith passed for a game-high six assists, while chipping in five points, four rebounds, and a pair of steals. Camaryia Williams pulled down a team-high nine rebounds.

Indiana Wesleyan shot 42.6 percent from the field and was 20-23 at the free throw line, while AQ shot 35.6 percent from the floor. The Saints were 5-22 from downtown and 7-17 at the charity stripe. IWU used its size as an advantage, owning a 45-29 rebounding edge.

Aquinas forced 21 IWU turnovers, while committing 17 miscues on the other end. The Saints held a 38-15 bench point advantage and scored all six of the game's fast break points. Each team scored 28 points in the paint.

This weekend (Nov. 1-2), AQ heads to Richmond, Indiana for a pair of games against Lindsey Wilson and IU-East.

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