BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team's season culminates with a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship game at Millikin University Tuesday, March 9. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Griswold Center.
    Illinois Wesleyan (6-3) advanced to its sixth consecutive CCIW Tournament title game with a 53-42 road win at second-seeded North Park, March 6. Meanwhile, top-seeded Millikin (10-3) clobbered Carroll, 90-68, to earn a spot in the conference tournament championship for the first time since 2008.
    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.

THROWING IT BACK TO 2008: Tuesday night's tournament championship clash between Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin will be the third time the two have met in the league's championship game since the tournament began in 2003. IWU and MU squared off in both the 2008 and 2005 title games. The Titans defended home court in the 2008 championship, besting the Big Blue 75-64. Millikin got the better of Illinois Wesleyan, 82-64, in Decatur in 2005. Overall, IWU and MU have met in the conference tournament five times, with Illinois Wesleyan winning for of the five meetings.

MATCHIN' UP WITH MILLIKIN: Tuesday night's matchup will mark the 98th edition in the Illinois Wesleyan-Millikin rivalry, a series that dates back to the 1972-73 season. IWU held off MU in the initial meeting, 38-33, and won the first four games between the two conference foes. Overall, Millikin owns a 52-45 edge in the all-time series, but Illinois Wesleyan has won 11 of the past 13 meetings.
Additionally, IWU is 34-17 against MU under the direction of Mia Smith.

ONE OF THE TOP TITANS: Illinois Wesleyan fans will see a familiar face leading the Big Blue in third-year head coach Olivia Lett when IWU and Millikin square off Tuesday, March 9. One of the greatest basketball players in IWU history, Lett was a three-year letterwinner for the Titans from 2009-12. The 2012 CCIW Player of the Year, Lett led Illinois Wesleyan to a NCAA Division III National Championship in 2012.
    She finished her career ranked second all-time in scoring average at 15.4 ppg, tied for second in blocks (70), third in free throw percentage (.829), seventh all-time with 1,354 points, ninth in field goals made (474), and 10th in three-pointers made (135) and free throws made (271).

IWU AND THE CCIW TOURNAMENT: Illinois Wesleyan is making its 17th CCIW Tournament appearance since the league began holding a tournament in 2003. Over that time, the Titans have gone 26-7 in CCIW Tournament games and have won nine tournament championships.

THE THREE SEED IN THE TOURNAMENT: Illinois Wesleyan will look to become the first team to win the CCIW Tournament as the No. 3 seed or lower. From 2003-2020, third-seeded teams have posted a 7-17 record in the tournament.

PLENTY OF POINTS: Tuesday's clash between two of the top teams in the CCIW will pit the top two scoring offenses in the league against one another. Millikin leads the league at 77.8 points per game, while IWU ranks second with a 69.7 ppg average.

THE 50TH YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 50th year of women's basketball, has compiled a 671-479 overall record. IWU's .583 all-time win percentage includes a 309-192 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

THE DEAN OF THE CCIW: The 2020-21 season marks the 23rd 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.