BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – For the first time in 301 days the No. 23/24 Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will play in front of a home crowd when the Titans take on Carthage College Saturday, Dec. 7, inside the Shirk Center. Tipoff of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foes is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will serve as the first leg of a double dip with the IWU men's basketball team.
The Titans wrapped up a season-opening eight-game road swing with a 94-49 crushing of the Cardinals of North Central, Dec. 4. With the win, IWU now sits at 6-2 on the season and 1-0 in CCIW play. On the flip side, Carthage (4-3, 1-0 CCIW) comes to Bloomington looking to remain perfect in league play following a 66-49 win over Elmhurst, Dec. 4.
Fans can tune into the games via live stats or live stream, while Derek Bohlmann and Cathy Lowery will also have the call on 98.3 FM WEXG. Links on how to follow along can be found on the wommen's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
HOME AT LAST: Illinois Wesleyan will play at home for the first time this season when it plays host to Carthage Saturday, Dec. 7. IWU's last home game, which came 301 days prior to Saturday's showdown, resulted in an 83-62 win over Elmhurst, Feb. 9, 2019. The victory marked Illinois Wesleyan's fifth straight home triumph dating back to a 56-54 loss to Wheaton, Jan. 2, 2019.
HIGH FIVE: Five players scored in double figures for Illinois Wesleyan in its CCIW opening win at North Central, Dec. 4. It marked the first time five-or-more Titans have scored 10+ points since Feb. 6, 2019 when Maddie Merritt (20), Kendall Sosa (14), Raven Hughes (13), Sydney Shanks (11), and Sam Munroe (10) accomplished the feat in an 80-54 win over Millikin at the Shirk Center.
Freshman Katelyn Heller turned in a career-high 14 points to lead IWU, while Shanks (13), Brooke Lansford (11), Catie Eck (11), and Sosa (11) also notched 10+ points.
MORE FRESHMEN FIRSTS: In Illinois Wesleyan's win over North Central, Dec. 4, freshmen Megan Moody, Emily Collins, and Hannah Smith scored their first points of their IWU careers. Moody and Smith finished with five points each, while Collins contributed four.
SHARING IS CARING: A key to the Titans success through the first eight games of the season as been their selflessness. Illinois Wesleyan has dished out 140 assists, the second-most in the CCIW and the ninth-most in the country. IWU's 17.5 assists per game are 24th-best in the country and lead the CCIW, while Sydney Shanks (29th - 34 assists) and Sam Munroe (71st - 29) sit inside the nation's top-100 in dimes as of Dec. 5.
DIALING IN FROM LONG DISTANCE: Illinois Wesleyan has not just been one of the better three-point shooting teams in the conference this season, but the Titans are one of the best in the country. IWU ranks second in the league and 14th nationally with a three-point field goal percentage of 38.5, while its 62 made triples are 21st-best nationally.
Individually, Kendall Sosa leads the conference and is slotted fourth in the country with 25 made three-pointers. Meanwhile, her 49.0 clip beyond the arc is 27th in the nation.
LEFT NO DOUBT: Illinois Wesleyan was firing on all cylinders in its 94-49 pummeling of North Central, Dec. 4. The Titans never trailed as 11 different players scored to lead IWU to the 45-point victory. The outcome marked the largest win margin of the year for IWU, besting its 34-point victory against Rose Hulman, Nov. 30, and is its most lopsided win in CCIW play since topping North Park, 97-52, Jan. 23, 2019.
The Titans used a 20-0 run spanning the first and second quarters en route to the win at North Central, Dec. 4. It marked the second time IWU has rattled off 19-or-more unanswered points this season, with the other occurrence taking place against No. 10 DePauw, Dec. 1.
TITANS IN THEIR HOME OPENER: Despite compiling a 96-27 record inside the Shirk Center since the 2009-10 campaign, Illinois Wesleyan has won just four its past 10 home openers. In fact IWU's last home-opening victory came over Carthage, 77-68, Dec. 2, 2017, snapping a three-game losing streak in home openers.
Last season, the Titans came up short against Chicago, 77-76. Sydney Shanks scored a game-high 21 points, but a UC layup with 19 seconds to play proved to be the difference.
ALL-TIME LEDGER AGAINST THE LADY REDS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage have met on the hardwood 72 times ahead of Saturday's CCIW clash with IWU holding a 44-28 lead in the all-time series. The Titans have won nine straight against the Lady Reds, including a rare three-game sweep during the 2018-19 campaign.
Illinois Wesleyan bested Carthage 85-71 to begin CCIW play, Dec. 1, before handing the Lady Reds an 85-73 setback Feb. 2. The two teams met a third time 20 days later, with IWU knocking Carthage out of the postseason with a 78-59 win in the CCIW semifinals.
SCOUTING REPORT - CARTHAGE: Carthage travels to Bloomington with a 4-3 record on the season, including a 1-0 mark in CCIW play. The Lady Reds have won three of their last four games, most recently edging Elmhurst 66-49, Dec. 4.
Carthage is led by the trio of Autumn Kalis, Sammie Woodward, and Madie Kaelber. Kalis leads the Lady Reds with 15.3 points per game, following closely by Woodward (13.3 ppg) and Kaelber (12.3). Together, the trio has combined for 53 of the team's 56 three-pointers this season. Defensively, Maggie Berigan leads CC and ranks third in the conference with 11 rejections. Her 6.0 rebounds a contest are second to Haley Ahr's 6.6 average.
TITAN TRIO: Kendall Sosa, Sydney Shanks, and Riley Brovelli have been a three-headed monster for IWU's opposition so far this season. In fact, the trio are all ranked inside the CCIW top-15 in scoring. Sosa is second in the league at 19.6 points a game, while Shanks sits seventh (13.9) and Brovelli is tied for 14th (10.9).
Moreover, Illinois Wesleyan, Carthage, and Millikin are the only teams in the league with three players inside the conference's top-15.
DOUBLE THE POLLS: For the second straight week, Illinois Wesleyan finds itself ranked inside the D3hoops.com and Women's Basketball Coaches Association Top-25 polls. The Titans are slotted No. 23 in the D3hoops poll and sit 24th in the WBCA Coaches' Poll.
THE 49TH YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 49th year of women's basketball, has compiled a 649-468 overall record. IWU's .581 all-time win percentage includes a 296-185 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.
ON THE HORIZON: A quick turnaround sees the Titans return to action at the Shirk Center Monday, Dec. 9, as IWU plays host to UW-Stevens Point in non-conference action. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
