LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Spalding University women's basketball team ran past the Iowa Wesleyan Tigers Saturday 59-35 in Derek Smith Gymnasium. The Golden Eagles improved to 9-3 overall this season and 7-0 in SLIAC play while the visitors fell to 9-5 and 6-1.

Kayla Styles returned from a one game absence with a vengeance, posting her fourth double-double on the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds, eight coming on the offensive glass. Brandy Hunter added 10 points off the bench for Spalding, who once again owned the glass, outrebounding Wesleyan 42-29.

The game that was pegged the SLIAC Game of the Week lived up to the billing for the entire first half. It stayed close much of the half with Spalding jumping out to a 15-6 lead before the Tigers roared back with a 9-0 burst to tie the game. With Jessica Guy saddled with foul trouble, Styles and Dee Dee Sliter picked up the scoring, heading into halftime with a 21-18 advantage.

The second half saw Spalding switch to a 2-3 zone defense the Tigers never could figure out. Spalding turned its stingy defense into points at the other end, shooting 53 percent in the second half and outscoring Wesleyan 38-17. The Tigers managed just four second half field goals, half of which came in the final 36 seconds.

Up next for the Eagles is Wednesday's 6:00 p.m. EST game against Webster University at Derek Smith gymnasium.

Courtesy of Evan Skaggs