BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team opens up a three-game homestand Saturday, Feb. 1, as host to Carroll University in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside the Shirk Center and will serve as the first leg of a double dip with the IWU men's basketball team.
The Titans (12-6, 6-3 CCIW) stumbled on the road at North Park, 77-64, Wednesday night, Jan. 29, and look to get off the schneid after dropping consecutive CCIW games for the first time since the end of the 2016-17 season. Meanwhile, the Pioneers (7-11, 3-7 CCIW) enter the matchup on the heels of a 91-55 throttling of Carthage, Jan. 29.
Fans can tune into the games via live stats or live stream, while Derek Bohlmann and Marsha Moody will also have the call on 98.3 FM WEXG. Links on how to follow along can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
PINK ZONE: Saturday's clash with Carroll will also serve as the Titans' annual Pink Zone game, in which Illinois Wesleyan raises money for the local community cancer center. IWU Pink Zone t-shirts will be sold for $10, while raffle tickets will also be on sale throughout the game.
THE COMFORTS OF HOME: Illinois Wesleyan opens up its longest homestand off the season Saturday, Feb. 1 when it hosts Carroll in CCIW action. IWU has had six three-game homestands dating back to the 2015-16 season and has posted a 3-0 record in each.
TRYING TO JOIN THE CLUB: With seven games to play in the regular season, junior Kendall Sosa is on the verge of becoming just the third Titan all-time to average 20+ points per game for a season. Currently, the junior guard owns a 20.1 points per game average, the best in the CCIW and the 23rd-best nationally.
Should Sosa maintain her pace, she will join Lila Naffziger and Olivia Lett as the only other Titans to average 20+ ppg for a season. Naffziger did so in 1979-80, averaging a program record 25.4 ppg, and Lett (21.8 ppg) accomplished the feat in 2011-12.
PLAYING THE PIONEERS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll will meet on the hardwood Saturday afternoon for the 22nd time, with the Pioneers owning a 14-7 lead in the all-time series. Despite Carroll's hold on the all-time tally, IWU has won seven straight meetings against the Pioneers since Carroll rejoined the CCIW in the 2016-17 season.
Illinois Wesleyan bested Carroll 83-69 when the two tangled in Waukesha, Wis., Jan. 18. The Titans used a 50-point first half and 31 points from Kendall Sosa come away victorious.
SCOUTING REPORT - CARROLL: The Pioneers, who had lost five of six games before a shocking 91-55 win over Carthage, Jan. 29, heads into the weekend with a 7-11 overall record and 3-7 CCIW mark. A tumultuous start to conference play has seen Carroll top Millikin, Wheaton, and Carthage. Meanwhile, the Pioneers have lost two league games by two points-or-less.
Sierra Grubor leads Carroll at 11.0 points per game and 4.8 rebounds a contest as the lone Pioneer averaging in double figures scoring. Alyssa Cruz paces a CU defense that is holding opponents to 62.8 points per game with 23 steals. She also leads the team with 75 assists and ranks third on the team at 7.0 points per game.
As a team, Carroll has been inconsistent offensively. The Pioneers score 66.2 points per contest and are converting 39.8 percent of their shot attempts (33.3 percent from three-point range).
TAKING IT UP A NOTCH: Since beginning CCIW play, the Titans have taken their play to another level. With eight league games under their belts IWU leads the conference in scoring (75.7 ppg), scoring margin (+11), offensive rebounds (14.2 orpg), rebounding margin (+4.4), assists (16.78 apg), and steals (10.89 spg).
HOME COOKING: In the 25-year history of the Shirk Center, IWU has won 230 of 305 of its games on its home court, good for a .754 win percentage. The Titans are 4-1 on Denny Bridges Court this season and had won nine straight home games from Jan. 16, 2019 to Jan. 18, 2020.
ONE OF A HANDFUL: Junior Kendall Sosa has put together quite a season through 18 games. In addition to leading Illinois Wesleyan in scoring, Sosa is one of two players in the country to hold a shooting percentage line of at least 40-35-88.
The Bloomington, Ill. native is converting 45.0 percent of her shot attempts, 39.0 percent of her three-pointers, and is shooting 88.7 percent at the free throw line. Camila Casanueva of Brandeis is the only other player to do so, with a line of 40.3-40.0-91.1.
HOT SHOTS: Illinois Wesleyan has scored 1,310 points this season, the third-most of any team in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Additionally, IWU's season point total is 58th nationally. Meanwhile, the Titans 72.8 points per game is best in the league and 50th in the country.
Illinois Wesleyan is 10-1 when scoring 67-or-more points, compared to 2-5 when held under the 67-point mark.
TITAN TRIO QUARTET: Kendall Sosa, Sydney Shanks, Riley Brovelli, and Brooke Lansford have lead the Titans' offense this season. In fact, IWU is the only team in the conference with four players ranked inside the CCIW top-16 in scoring. Sosa tops the league at 20.1 points a game, while Shanks sits eighth (12.6), Brovelli is 11th (11.3), and Lansford is 16th (10.1).
RISING TO THE OCCASION: Since Jan. 4, junior Anna Lowis has upped her game. In six contests, Lowis has averaged 9.2 rebounds, 4.8 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.8 steals per game for the Titans.
THE 49TH YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan has compiled a 657-473 overall record. IWU's .580 all-time win percentage includes a 301-188 CCIW mark.
SHARING IS CARING: A key to the Titans success through 18 games of the season has been their selflessness. Illinois Wesleyan has dished out 299 assists, the second-most in the CCIW and the 31st-most in the country. IWU's 16.6 assists per game are 27th-best in the country.
ALL COMES DOWN TO CASHING IN: Free throws have been an indicator of the Titans' success in 2019-20. In fact, IWU is 8-1 when shooting 70 percent-or-better from the charity stripe compared to 4-5 when shooting less than 70 percent from the line. Additionally, Illinois Wesleyan is 8-1 when making 10-or-more free throws.
I'LL TAKE THREE-POINTERS FOR 100, ALEX: In Illinois Wesleyan's game against Wheaton, Jan. 22, junior Kendall Sosa became the 15th player in IWU history with 100+ career three-pointers made. The Bloomington, Ill. native's 101 career three-pointers are just two behind Maggie Lamb's 14th-ranked total of 103. Mallory Heydorn holds the program record with 281 career triples from 2005 to 2009.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan continues its three-game homestand Wednesday night, Feb. 5, against Elmhurst College. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
