Canton, Ill. - Halie Gilbert's career-high 21 points led the #19 Illinois Central College women's basketball team to a big 85-43 victory over Spoon River on Saturday afternoon in M-WAC and Region 24 action.  The freshman from Terre Haute connected on nine field goals and hauled down eight rebounds while Peyton Dearing, Naomi Elliott, and Kyleigh Block each added 12 points apiece.  Miya Webb and Laisha Armendariz Lopez each tallied career-high assist totals, with Webb dishing out seven and Lopez six to move the Cougars to 18-9 overall, 6-4 in Region 24 and the M-WAC.  Spoon River dropped to 10-16, 0-11.  

The Cougars burst out to an 11-4 lead as Webb, Gilbert, Block and Dearing all scored and the defense forced a Snapper shot clock violation.  After a Macy Petelin basket (assist Lopez) SRC began crashing the offensive glass for put-backs to claw back to within 17-13 after one quarter of play.

The Cougars opened the quarter on a run as Webb executed a tough drive to the hoop, Naomi Elliott had a steal and layup, and Block hit a baseline jumper to give ICC a 26-17 advantage.  Gilbert then scored seven straight points along with a Block three-pointer and Paris Wilson put-back to stretch the lead to 38-21. The Cougars stayed on the attack as Block had a put-back and bagged another three-pointer (assist Lopez) while Elena Redgate added a layup (assist Lopez) to give ICC a 47-25 lead at intermission.

Webb found a wide open Gilbert inside to start the 2nd half and Elliott knocked down a corner trey to push ICC across the 50-point threshold, leading 52-32 at the 6:12 mark.  Dearing had an old-fashioned three-point play to close out the quarter as ICC took a 65-38 lead into the final frame.

The Cougar lead would swell to 30 points when Elliott converted a three-point play with 7:53 to go, putting ICC ahead 68-38. Elliott would go right down to the other end of the floor and draw a charge on the very next possession as well. ICC's offense would out-score Spoon River in the final frame by a 20-5 margin, capping their 85-point effort on a baseline look from Redgate (assist Lopez).

STATISTICAL LEADERS
Halie Gilbert | 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks, and I BEAT THE DEAN
Kyleigh Block | 14 points, 3 rebounds
Peyton Dearing | 12 points, 4 rebounds
Naomi Elliott | 12 points, 1 drawn charge
Miya Webb| 7 points, 7 assists---career-high
Laisha Armendariz | 6 assists---career-high

Notable Team Stats:
28 2-pointers
14-18 Free Throws

WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE COUGARS
@ #9 Parkland Cobras (21-3, 8-2)
Wednesday, March 1st - 5:30 PM
@ Dodds Complex - Champaign, Ill.
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