CHICAGO, Ill. -- In its first home game of the year, the University of Chicago women's basketball team dropped its third-straight contest by a 77-62 score to Wheaton College on Wednesday.

The Thunder (4-0) came out firing and took a 9-1 lead in the opening minutes. Wheaton's defense forced 12 turnovers in the half and built up its double-digit lead to 36-22 at halftime. The Maroons (1-3) hit 4 of 11 from beyond the arc during the first half, but only made 4 of 27 shots (15 percent) from two-point range.

UChicago slowly chipped away at the deficit over the course of the second half. The Maroons came within six points on two different occasions thanks to good outside shooting. However, Wheaton kept composed and converted baskets down the stretch to keep the advantage in hand. The Thunder swished nine free throws over the final three minutes to seal the victory.

Both sides got good production from their starting lineups - nine out of the 10 starters tallied double digits in points. The Maroons committed 19 turnovers in the game, shot 22 of 57 from the field (38.6 percent), 9 of 24 on three-pointers (37.5 percent) and 9 of 12 on free throws (75 percent). The Thunder made 21 of 28 free throws (75 percent) and also held a 41-36 rebounding edge.

UChicago Stat Leaders
Jenna Lillemoe - 14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 three-pointers
Christiane Murray - 13 points, 9 rebounds
Ellie Greiner - 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks

Wheaton Stat Leaders
Brooke Olson - 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists
Lauren Graham - 17 points, 7 rebounds
Maris Hovee - 13 points, 13 rebounds, 6 blocks

NEXT GAME: Saturday, Dec. 1 - UChicago at Illinois Wesleyan University, 2 PM.