Whitewater, WI—Millikin University women's basketball traveled to University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for the Champions Classic. The Big Blue trailed early on but were able to take the lead and run in the third; topping the Auggies of Augsburg University 57-51.
Six of the Big Blue contributed to the 15 points in the first quarter, led by freshman Lizzy Murphy with four points. Leading up to halftime, Murphy picked up six of the team's 12 points. Becoming more aggressive on defense, Millikin held Augsburg to only nine points after gaining 22 in the first quarter; trailing 25-31 going into the break.
Outscoring the Auggies 20-12 in the third, the Big Blue were able to conquer a lead and not look back. Ava Harris sparked the team with five points and five rebounds. Finishing strong, Ari Williams and Lauryn Jackson picked up a block each to deny the Auggies at the rim, holding them to only eight points. Millikin captured their first 2026-2027 season win with a final score of 57-51.
Murphy led all players with 15 points and six rebounds, shooting 60% from the field with three made free-throws. Joining her was Natalie Gartlan with 11 points with four made jumpers, one three pointer, and two free-throws with six rebounds. The Big Blue had a total of thirty bench points and 47 rebounds.
"I'm really proud of our group for finding a way to earn our first win of the season, especially on the road. Our girls played incredibly hard, competed for one another, and showed a lot of toughness and fight from start to finish. Road wins are never easy, and I thought our team responded to adversity and stayed together when it mattered most. This is a great step forward for our program, and we're excited to keep building on it," says Head Coach Kirsten Hammer.
Millikin women's basketball sits at 1-1 heading into the second day of Whitewater's Champions Classic, resting up to face the preseason receiving votes team, Wisconsin-Whitewater on their home floor. Tip-off is set for 1pm in Kachel Gym.
