By Colbi Howser, Communications and Sports Information Intern

SIOUX CITY, IOWA – (Box Score – Bracket) After being down 41-33 at half the Tigers of Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) battle back in a fourth quarter thriller that had everyone on the edge of their seats until the final seconds of play ending in a wild 86-84 victory for the Tigers.
  
Getting off to a slow start in the first two quarters, Olivet Nazarene went into the half scoring a fourth worst season low of 33 points only connecting on 11-of-36 shots from the field and 2-of-13 from behind the arc.

The Tigers roared back with vengeance come the fourth quarter as they found themselves down by five. Star and game high scorer Abbey Hengesbach went off with eight minutes to go draining two back-to-back 3-pointers and another with 1:42 left to take an 80-79 lead. In the closing seconds, Indiana Wesleyan comes out of a timeout to drain one last three with eight seconds to go. It was all Olivet though, who never dropped the intensity to come away with a thrilling win.

Indiana Wesleyan deserves a large amount of credit for keeping up and breaking through the Tigers scrappy and fast paced defense. The Wildcats did their homework, showing up and making easy work of the press being forced upon them. Indiana Wesleyan went 31-of-47 from the field and pulled in 57 rebounds. With an impressive defensive first half, the Wildcats held the Tigers to 13 points in the first quarter and 33 points on the half.

Together both teams recorded an outstanding seven charges on the night. Indiana Wesleyan with four and Olivet with the remaining three.

Hengesbach ended the game with a career high 39 points, going 13-of-22 from the field and 3-of-7 from behind the arc. Another career high was recorded as Erika Ishman of Indiana Wesleyan brought home 33 points on the night. He previous high was 19.

The Wildcats end its season with a 27-8 record.

Olivet Nazarene is back in action tomorrow night, March 12 at 8 p.m. were they will face the winner of No. 2 College of the Ozarks (Mo.) and No. 3 Mount Marty (S.D.) in the 2016 NAIA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship, sponsored by Mercy Medical and Seaboard Triumph Foods.