BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin leaders tangle Wednesday night, Jan. 19, as the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team plays host to Millikin University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
    Illinois Wesleyan notched its third straight win, defeating Augustana College convincingly, 81-48, Jan. 15, to move to 9-6 overall and 6-0 in conference play. Meanwhile, Millikin toppled Carthage College, 62-42, for its 10th straight win. The win moved the Big Blue to 13-3 on the season and 7-0 in league games.
    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.
THAT'S OUR POINT GUARD!: Senior Brooke Lansford was named the CCIW's Player of the Week Monday, Jan. 17, marking the first weekly conference accolade of her career. Lansford guided the Titans to a pair of wins Jan. 10-15, with 19 points, 5.5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game over the two-game span. Lansford went 7-for-13 from three-point range and shot 53.8 percent from the field overall. She is the third Titan to receive the conference honor this season, joining Kaia Bowen and Lauren Huber.
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 240 of 320 of its games on its home court, good for a .750 win percentage.
MATCHIN' UP WITH MILLIKIN: Wednesday night's matchup will mark the 99th edition of 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 53-45 edge in the all-time series, but Illinois Wesleyan has won 11 of the past 14 meetings.
    Additionally, IWU is 34-18 against MU under the direction of Mia Smith.
"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. The first female student-athlete to receive the award in CCIW history, Sosa will officially receive the award at the NCAA Convention in Indianapolis, Jan. 19.
ONE OF THE TOP TITANS: Illinois Wesleyan fans will see a familiar face leading the Big Blue in fourth-year head coach Olivia Lett when IWU and Millikin square off Wednesday, Jan. 19. 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).
NO SOUP FOR YOU!: Illinois Wesleyan has held opponents below 50 points 16 times since the start of the 2012-13 campaign.
STRONG START: Through its first six games of its 16-game CCIW slate, Illinois Wesleyan sits tied atop the standings with Millikin. IWU is 6-0 in league play, with MU at 7-0. The undefeated start matches IWU's best start since winning 11 in-a-row during the 2017-18 campaign.
R-N-J BABY: The Titans full-court press has flustered the opposition this season, and Augustana was no different. The Green and White forced 26 Viking turnovers, leading to 35 IWU points in its win at the Shirk Center, Jan. 15. It marked the 12th time this season Illinois Wesleyan has forced 20-or-more miscues. In fact, the Titans are 9-3 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 680-486 overall record. IWU's .583 all-time win percentage includes a 315-193 CCIW mark.
PROVEN KEYS TO VICTORY: With 15 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 8-1 when scoring 70-or-more points, while the Titans are 1-3 when opponents eclipse 70 points. IWU is also 6-0 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 4.0 assists per game. She also ranks 33rd in all of Division III with 60 assists this season.
She notched her 200th career assist in IWU's win at Elmhurst, Jan. 12, and currently sits 22nd on IWU's career assist list with 206. She is just three behind Kasey Reaber for 21st (209).
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 24.67 turnovers per game, the 21st-most in Division III. The Green and White boasts a turnover margin of +7.53, the best in the CCIW, as well as the 16th-highest nationally. Fueled by its daunting run-and-jump full-court press, Illinois Wesleyan is snagging 13.3 steals per game. The clip ranks third in the CCIW and 27th 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 447 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 15 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 14.1 points per game, the highest mark on any freshman in the CCIW. Brooke Lansford is eighth at 13.4 ppg, Catie Eck is tied for 21st at 9.5 ppg, and Kate Palmer is 23rd with 9.3 ppg.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan hits the road for a game at Carroll University Saturday, Jan. 22. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be the first leg of a doubleheader with the IWU men's basketball team.
    IWU topped the Pioneers, 75-62, in the first meeting between the two, Dec. 4. Five Titans scored in double figures, led by freshman Mallory Powers with 16. Brooke Lansford added 13, Lauren Huber tallied 12, and Kate Palmer and Katelyn Heller contributed 10 points apiece.
