BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team returns to action following the Thanksgiving holiday as host of the annual Midwest Challenge Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 27-28. The Titans will tangle with Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology at 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 27, with DePauw University and Washington University in St. Louis set to battle at 1 p.m. The losers of each game will then meet Sunday, Nov. 28, at 1 p.m., with the winners to play at 3 p.m.
    Illinois Wesleyan is 1-2 on the season following a 75-43 loss to 18th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Saturday, Nov. 20. RHIT is also 1-2 on the season, as the Fightin' Engineers picked up their first win of the season at Elmhurst University, 87-51, Nov. 20. DePauw is unbeaten ahead of the tournament, sitting at 4-0 on the season. Rounding out the four-team field is WashU, which enters the weekend in search of its first win of the season. The Bears are 0-3 on the young season, and have lost their last two outings (at Wisconsin Lutheran and at Rhodes) by three points each.
    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.
IT'S BAAAAACK: After a one-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the Midwest Challenge is back for its eighth go-around. The four-team tournament began in 2013 and featured IWU, WashU, DePauw, and Illinois College, before Rose-Hulman replaced IC in 2016. It has seen WashU win the weekend four times, DePauw twice, and IWU once.
    Illinois Wesleyan is looking to win the Midwest Challenge for the first time since 2018, while DePauw won it most recently in 2019.
TALE OF THE TAPE: Illinois Wesleyan holds a combined record of 18-32 against Rose-Hulman, DePauw, and WashU all-time. The Titans hold a 4-1 advantage in the all-time series with the Fightin' Engineers, but trail in the all-time series with DePauw (11-8) and WashU (21-6).
    Furthermore, IWU is riding a three-game win streak against RHIT. The Green and White most recently downed Rose-Hulman, 68-34, in the 2019 rendition of the tournament. Prior to that, IWU escaped with a 60-59 win in 2017, and toppled RHIT, 66-38 in 2016.
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 313 of its games on its home court, good for a .754Â win percentage.
NO NEED FOR WINDEX...: Illinois Wesleyan has dominated the rebounding battle through its first three games of the 2021-22 campagin. The Titans are averaging 39.3 boards per contest, including a CCIW-best 15.3 offensive rebounds per game.
    Junior Kelly Carlson is the team leader with 7.3 boards per game, while Lauren Huber is good for 6.3 per contest. Kaia Bowen is pulling down 5.7 a game, with Mallory Powers adding 5.3 caroms a contest.
THE 51ST YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 51st year of women's basketball, has compiled a 672-482 overall record. IWU's .582 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.
FRESHMEN FLEX: The Titans have seen three freshman average 15+ minutes per game and make an immediate impact. Lauren Huber is second on the team in both scoring and rebounding after three games. She is averaging 10 points and 6.3 rebounds over 23.7 minutes per game. Mallory Powers, who has averaged 20.3 minutes of action, is averaging 7.7 points per game and Kate Palmer is adding 6.5 points per game with an average of 16.7 minutes of play.
    Furthermore, Huber is the only freshman in the conference averaging double figures. She checks in tied for 17th in the league in scoring at 10 ppg.
LANSFORD STEPPING UP: Brooke Lansford, Illinois Wesleyan's lone returning starter from as season ago, has embraced her new role for the Titans through three games in 2021-22. Lansford leads the Titans with 13.7 points per game, the ninth-best scoring average in the conference, and has done a bit of everything for the Green and White. The Leawood, Kan. native is tied for third in the CCIW with 3.3 assists per game.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan contiues its homestand with a midweek clash with Eureka College Wednesday, Dec. 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will serve as the first leg of a doubleheader with the IWU men's basketball team.
