BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will play host to 18th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Saturday, Nov. 20, in the Titans home opener. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
    Illinois Wesleyan heads into the weekend 1-1 on the season. The Titans most recently picked up a 75-67 road win at Capital University, Nov. 13. Meanwhile, UW-Whitewater is 4-0 on the season. The Warhawks recently bested Augustana College, 65-53, Nov. 17.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream. Links on how to follow along can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

FRESHMEN FLEX: In Illinois Wesleyan's season-opening trip to Ohio, the Titans saw three freshman average 15+ minutes per game and make an immediate impact. Mallory Powers is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding after two games. She averaged 11 points and 7.5 rebounds over 25.0 minutes per game. Lauren Huber, who averaged 21.5 minutes of action, is averaging 9.0 points per game on a 52.9 field goal percentage. Kate Palmer added 6.5 points per game with an average of 15.0 minutes of play.
    Furthermore, Powers is the only freshman in the conference averaging double figures. Powers checks in at 12th in the league in scoring at 11 ppg. The next highest-scoring freshman is Huber at 9.0 points per contest, which is good for 22nd-best in the CCIW.

LANSFORD STEPPING UP: Brooke Lansford, Illinois Wesleyan's lone returning starter from as season ago, has embraced her new role for the Titans through two games in 2021-22. Lansford leads the Titans with 16.5 points per game, the fourth-best scoring average in the conference, and has done a bit of everything for the Green and White. The Leawood, Kan. native tops the CCIW with 4.0 assists per game.
    Lansford has led the Titans in both of their games so far this season, scoring a team-high 14 points in IWU's opener at Wittenberg and added a team-leading 19 points in IWU's win at Capital.

HOME COOKING: One of the greatest athletic venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 600 Titan basketball games between both the men and women. In the 26-year history of the Shirk Center, the women have won 236 of 312 of its games on its home court, good for a .756  win percentage.

NO NEED FOR WINDEX...: Illinois Wesleyan has dominated the rebounding battle through its first two games of the 2021-22 campagin. The Titans are averaging 39.0 boards per contest, including a CCIW-best 16.0 offensive rebounds per game. Overall, IWU has amassed a +13.5 rebounding margin, the best in the CCIW and the 28th-highest in all of Division III.
    Junior Kelly Carlson is the team leader with 7.5 boards per game, while Mallory Powers is good for 7.0 per contest. Kaia Bowen is pulling down 6.5 a game, with Lauren Huber adding 5.5 caroms a contest.

ALL-TIME AGAINST UW-WHITEWATER: Illinois Wesleyan and UW-Whitewater will square off on the hardwood for the 14th time since the series began in 1997 when the two teams tangle Saturday evening, Nov. 20. The Warhawks hold a commanding 10-3 lead in the all-time series, and have won seven straight against the Titans dating back to 2013. IWU came out on top in two of the first three matchups, including a 90-53 walloping of UWW in the initial clash, Dec. 14, 1997.

LAST WIN OVER UWW: The Green and White's last win came in nail-biting fashion during the 2011-12 season, as the Titans took down the Warhawks 72-69 inside the Shirk Center Nov. 27, 2012. Illinois Wesleyan trailed by five, 35-30, at halftime, but used a strong second half to clip UW-Whitewater, 72-69. Melissa Gardner led the Titans with 19 points, while Lexi Baltes and Colleen McMahon added 18 and 17, respectively.
    The Titans hit 9-of-10 free throws and Michelle Bilek knocked down a triple over the final two and a half minutes to propel IWU to the three-point win. The Warhawks had a chance for the tie at the buzzer, but could not convert as Shelby Jackson snagged the rebound to seal the win.

THE 51ST YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 51st year of women's basketball, has compiled a 672-481 overall record. IWU's .583 all-time win percentage includes a 309-193 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

THE DEAN OF THE CCIW: The 2021-21 season marks the 24th year under the direction of Mia Smith, the longest tenured coach in the CCIW. Smith's 438 wins are the most among active CCIW coaches by more than 150. Additionally, Smith's CCIW wins are the third-most in league history.

    Under the tutelage of Smith, IWU has won eight CCIW Championships and made nine NCAA Tournament appearances. The Titans won the 2012 NCAA Division III Championship following a fourth-place finish in 2011.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan will return to action following Thanksgiving, as the Titans host the Midwest Challenge inside the Shirk Center, Nov. 27-28. IWU will battle Rose-Hulman Saturday, Nov. 27, at 3 p.m., with DePauw and WashU set to clash at 1 p.m. The losers will then meet at 1 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 28, with the winners scheduled to tipoff at 3 p.m.