BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team returns home for the first time in nearly a month Saturday, Jan. 15, as the Titans play host to Augustana College. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will serve as the first leg of a double feature with the IWU men's basketball team.
    Illinois Wesleyan enters the weekend undefeated in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, sitting tied for first in the league at 5-0. The Titans, who are 8-6 overall, most recently toppled Elmhurst University, 85-59, Jan. 10. Augustana (7-6, 1-3 CCIW) also heads into the weekend after defeating Elmhurst, as the Vikings beat the Bluejays, 78-64, Jan. 12, for their first conference win of the season.
    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.

"JUST WHEN YOU STARTED TO FORGET": Nearing a year since wrapping up an illustrious IWU career, Kendall Sosa reeled in another award as announced by the NCAA Jan. 10. Sosa was named a recipient of the NCAA Today's Top 10 Award, an honor that recognizes former student-athletes for their successes in their sport, in the classroom, and in the community. Sosa will officially receive the award at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, Jan. 19.
The first female student-athlete to receive the award in CCIW history, Sosa will be recognized prior to the IWU men's basketball game Saturday, Jan. 15.

AGAINST AUGIE ALL-TIME: Illinois Wesleyan and Augustana share a long history that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign. The Titans hold the upper hand in the 82-game series, 48-34, and have won seven of the last eight meetings.
    Most recently, the Titans stunned the Vikings in overtime, 76-75, in the CCIW Tournament semifinals, Feb. 28, 2020. Trailing by one with two seconds to go, Brooke Lansford was fouled on a buzzer-beating heave. She went on to hit the first two free throws before intentionally missing the last one to lead IWU to the win. Kendall Sosa led all scorers with 28 points, while Sydney Shanks put up a  near triple-double. Shanks posted a 21-point, 13-rebound double-double, to go along with nine steals.

STRONG START: Through its first five games of its 16-game CCIW slate, Illinois Wesleyan sits tied atop the standings with Millikin. IWU is 5-0 in league play, with MU at 6-0. The undefeated start matches IWU's best start since winning 11 in-a-row during the 2017-18 campaign.

DON'T HOLD IT AGAINST HIM: Illinois Wesleyan Athletic Director Mike Wagner, a 1992 Augie graduate, played football for the Vikings for four seasons. A Honorable Mention All-American by Dan Hansen's Football Gazette, Wagner was an All-CCIW linebacker for the Vikings. He led Augie to three NCAA Division III Playoff appearances during his playing career.

R-N-J BABY: The Titans full-court press has flustered the opposition this season, and Elmhurst was no different. The Green and White forced 30 Bluejay turnovers, leading to 32 IWU points in its win at R.A. Faganel Hall, Jan. 10. It marked the 11th time this season Illinois Wesleyan has forced 20-or-more miscues. In fact, the Titans are 8-3 when doing so, compared to 0-3 when opponents record fewer than 20 turnovers.

THE 51ST YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 51st year of women's basketball, has compiled a 679-486 overall record. IWU's .583 all-time win percentage includes a 314-193 CCIW mark.

PROVEN KEYS TO VICTORY: With 14 games complete, Illinois Wesleyan has established keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 7-1 on the year when winning the rebounding battle. When it comes to the scoreboard, IWU's magic number appears to be 70. The Green and White are 7-1 when scoring 70-or-more points, while the Titans are 1-3 when opponents eclipse 70 points. IWU is also 5-0 when compiling a better shooting percentage than the opposition this season.

HELPING HAND: Senior Brooke Lansford has been one of the CCIW's top floor generals this season, as the Titans' starting point guard leads the conference with 3.9 assists per game. She also ranks 40th in all of Division III with 54 assists this season.
She notched her 200th career assist in IWU's win at Elmhurst, Jan. 12, and currently sits 23rd on IWU's career assist list. She is just one behind Jen Zagers for 22nd (201).

DAUNTING DEFENSE: Illinois Wesleyan's best offensive threat this season has proven to be its defense, as the Titans have made a living cashing in on the miscues of their opponents. IWU is forcing 24.57 turnovers per game, the 25th-most in Division III. The Green and White boasts a turnover margin of +6.57, the second-best in the CCIW, as well as the 26th-highest nationally. Fueled by its daunting run-and-jump full-court press, Illinois Wesleyan is snagging 13.2 steals per game. The clip ranks third in the CCIW and 29th across all of Division III.

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 446 wins are the most among active CCIW coaches by more than 150. Additionally, Smith's CCIW wins are the second-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.

BALANCE IN THE POINTS COLUMN: Illinois Wesleyan has had one of the most balanced offenses in the CCIW this season through 14 games. In fact, Illinois Wesleyan is one of two teams in the conference with four players ranked in the league's top-25 in points per game. Additionally, IWU is the only school in the league with three freshmen on the list.
    Lauren Huber is sixth at 14.3 points per game, the highest mark on any freshman in the CCIW. Brooke Lansford is eighth at 13.1 ppg, Catie Eck is tied for 21st at 96 ppg, and Kate Palmer is 24th with 8.9 ppg.

WELCOME TO THE 250 CLUB, COACH!: With Illinois Wesleyan's 74-59 win over North Central Wednesday night, Dec. 15, Mia Smith notched the 250th College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin victory of her career. Smith, who holds a 252-90 record in league play, is second all-time in CCIW wins. Former Millikin bench boss Lori Kerans holds the conference record with 295 victories over 32 seasons.

PHENOMENAL FRESHMEN: The Titan have seen the freshmen trio of Lauren Huber, Kate Palmer, and Mallory Powers grow into their roles over the course of the season. The trio have been some of the best freshmen in the CCIW this season, as IWU is the only school in the league with freshmen ranked in the conference's top-25 in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage, and steals.
    In points per game, Huber is sixth (14.3) and Palmer is 24th (8.9). Huber is IWU's top rebounder at 7.2 caroms per contest, fifth-most in the league, while Powers' 5.4 are 16th-most. Huber's field goal percentage of 50.6 is third-best in the conference, while she is 14th in free throw percentage at 70.6. Palmer is tied for eighth with 1.8 three-pointers per game, with Powers just behind her at 1.6 per game (tied for 11th). Huber is also tied for ninth in the CCIW with 1.9 steals per game.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan hosts Millikin University Wednesday, Jan. 19, for a 7 p.m. tipoff inside the Shirk Center.