Mount Mary University will be hosting a Wednesday night match-up against the Illinois Institute of Technology. The game on Feb. 4th is set for 7:00 pm at the Bloechl Center.

This is the second contest in a month between the Blue Angels and Scarlet Hawks, and the first one provided a nail biting finish. After Taylor Baumgart (So./Burlington, Wis.) hit a big three-pointer with 42 seconds left in regulation, the Scarlet Hawks went right down and hit a well-defended off-balance shot to take the lead by two. As time ticked away, Becky Onan (Fr./Grafton, Wis.) was fouled hard as she broke past the defense to attack the rim. After shaking off the hit, Onan hit both free throws in clutch fashion to tie it up with only eight seconds left.

The Blue Angels grabbed control of the ball and attacked the basket in overtime, MMU took the victory 72-68. One of the first overtime victories in over five seasons for MMU. The team showed that it could come together under pressure, and the Blue Angels have played some of their best basketball in the last month as a result.

Sophomore Taylor Baumgart has been picking up her game as she continues to take better care of the ball. She has averaged a team leading 3.4 assists per game in January, along with a season's best 9.8 points per game. As she takes better shots, Baumgart has also seen a big lift in her overall shooting percentage.

Along with Baumgart, the rookie class has been stepping up. For example, Chrisandra Freeman (Fr./Cedar Rapids, Iowa) has finished three games with double-doubles, two of those coming within the last month. Most notably a 19 point, 11 rebound, and four assist performance against IIT.

The Scarlet Hawks are searching for their first victory of the season, but the Blue Angels have been playing better ball recently, even in their losses. The only big factor in the latest losses for the Blue Angels was the lack of the three-ball, going a combined 1 for 13 from outside. In contrast, the two wins this month MMU went 10-33 from beyond the arc.

After Illinois Tech, the Blue Angels will head to Michigan for the Grace Bible Classic. MMU's first game in the classic will be against host Grace Bible College on Friday Feb. 9th at 6:00 pm in Wyoming, Mich.