Millikin faced off against a red-hot WashU and lost 75-55, a game that could have been decided by one quarter.
Millikin played three out of the four quarters neck-and-neck with WashU. Each quarter was within a 1-3 point differential. However, the second quarter was very slow, and Millikin struggled to get anything going on both sides of the ball.
“[It was a] really hard-fought game,” Head Coach Kirsten Hammer said. “I thought we didn’t give up the whole game; [it was] just one bad quarter when you look at the stats. Our second quarter is not making the adjustments we need to.”
Millikin’s defense really struggled to stop WashU’s Sidney Rogers, who scored 24 points and grabbed eight rebounds. She was able to conduct the offense and allowed the team to run throughout the game.
Millikin also lost the rebound battle because WashU had such tall, physical players like Lexy Harris and Jordan Rich.
However, there were some highlights for Big Blue’s defense. They were able to force and steal the ball, get blocks down low, and achieve four steals and three blocks overall. They also had good pressure in the second half with Nylaia Carter playing her full-court press defense.
On offense, Millikin fixed many of their turnover issues and actually set themselves up for many shots; however, they didn’t hit. As the Big Blue shot 31% from three and 36% from the field.
Milliking adapted and used their big man in the paint, feeding Nikkel Johnson, who had another exceptional night with 16 points and seven rebounds and was the centerpiece for the Big Blue.
“[Johnson] changes the whole game for us. She changes our offense because there is so much presence in her, and she has changed her game a ton,” Hammer said. “She’s a difference maker for us and our guards.”
The team has also improved in many areas this season and has been competing against outstanding teams to prepare for conference play. The Big Blue are heading into a much-needed break to recoup and prepare for the rest of the season.
“We just have to work our offense, hit shots, [and] clean up our turnovers tonight, and we just have to keep building on that, and then clean up the screen miscommunications,” Hammer said. “We’ll be good. A break is good.”
Millikin women’s basketball takes on Elmhurst on Wednesday, December 3rd, at 7:00 PM at home and looks to get out of the slump and back in the win column. The team is very grateful for the support and is ready to continue playing for the Big Blue fans and family.
“Thanks for your support, and keep watching,” Hammer said.
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