BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Olivet Nazarene University women's basketball defeated Illinois Central 108-88 in an exhibition contest on Friday at McHie Arena to kick off their season. The Tigers capitalized on the Cougars' mistakes, scoring 41 points off Illinois Central's 34 turnovers. The Tigers also dominated the bench scoring, with 56 points contributed by non-starters. The Cougars' largest lead of 10 points occurred late in the second quarter, but the Tigers regained control in the second half to secure the victory in front of the homecoming crowd.

The game tipped off with the Tigers navigating an early back-and-forth battle against Illinois Central. Olivet Nazarene gained momentum midway through the quarter when Preslee Michael drained a three-pointer, assisted by Calee Biedron, to establish a five-point lead at 7:55. The Cougars responded to narrow the gap, but the Tigers' bench made significant contributions, outscoring the visitors' reserves 13-5. The Tigers' defense stifled Illinois Central by holding them scoreless in the final minute of the quarter and Lindsey Nell's layup with 1:11 remaining, followed by a basket from Ava Mikesell, helped extend the lead. The quarter concluded with Olivet ahead 24-20.

The second quarter saw a series of crucial plays by the Tigers, though they faced a strong offensive push from Illinois Central. Brooklyn Marshall contributed with a layup to tie the game at 26, assisted by Michael. Despite these efforts, Illinois Central surged ahead, building a 10-point lead with a minute remaining in the half. The Tigers fought back to narrow the gap, with Grace Bush and Michael converting layups and then Carlee Snyder closed the quarter by sinking two free throws, cutting the deficit to 48-44 at halftime.

After a back and forth start to the third quarter, the Tigers regained the lead at the 5:52 mark with a layup by Marshall to make it 59-57. A free throw by Jayden Flagg and another layup by Marshall capped a 10-0 run for the Tigers that ignited the crowd. Later in the quarter, Flagg added a crucial three-pointer, and Michael followed with a layup to continue building the lead. Olivet eventually closed the quarter with an eight point lead, ending ahead 77-69.

The fourth quarter started with a quick bucket by the Cougars, followed by two free throws to cut the deficit to six points. The Tigers answered with a Caroline Sikkink layup and an Elisabeth Good three-pointer to stop the Illinois Central run. Olivet ramped up the defensive pressure and forced several turnovers to help them expand their lead, and then a Calee Biedron layup at the 6:00 mark gave the Tigers a 15 point lead. A layup by Sikkink extendeded the lead to 20 points with 3:14 remaining, and from there the Tigers cruised to victory. Olivet finished the game by outscoring Illinois Central 31-19 in the fourth quarter.

Marshall led the team with 16 points, converting six of nine baskets. Michael finished with 15 points and collected eight rebounds. Nell added 11 points, securing eight rebounds and tallying four steals. Mikesell contributed 10 points, alongside five assists and four steals. 

The Tigers now turn their sights to the regular season where they open up at home against St. Mary of the Woods (Ind.) on Oct. 31 and Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) on Nov. 1 as a part of the Chick-Fil-A Classic.