BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Eyeing a bounce back, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team travels to the Windy City Monday night, Jan. 24, for a battle with North Park University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside NPU's Gymnasium.
    The Titans are 10-7 overall and 7-1 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin following its first league loss of the season, Jan. 22. IWU, which led after the first quarter, dropped a road game at Carroll University, 70-48. Meanwhile, North Park saw several players return as the Vikings escaped with an 84-79 overtime win at North Central College, Jan. 15. The win boosted North Park's record to 11-4 overall and 4-3 in conference play.
    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.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Illinois Wesleyan and North Park will square off for the 74th time Monday evening, Jan. 24. The Titans hold a commanding 59-15 advantage in the all-time series and have won 35 of the past 37 meetings with the Vikings dating back to the 2004-05 season.
Last season, the Titans and Vikings matched up four times, with IWU coming out on top in three of them. IWU defeated NPU, 55-48, in Chicago, Feb. 13, 2021, before falling 65-63 at NPU, Feb. 25. Illinois Wesleyan then blew by North Park, 77-61, in the Shirk Center Feb. 27. The Titans bounced the Vikings from the conference tournament with a 53-42 win at NPU's Gymnasium March 6, 2021.

TAKING IT UP A NOTCH: Since beginning CCIW play in December, the Titans have taken their play to another level. With seven conference games under their belts, the Titans lead the conference in scoring (74.5 ppg), scoring margin (+15.6), three-point field goal percentage (36.0), three-pointers made per game (7.8), and turnover margin (+8.25).

HALFWAY THERE: It may be hard to believe, but half of IWU's conference schedule is complete. The Titans, who are 7-1 in CCIW play, are off to their strongest start to conference play since winning 11 straight to begin 2017-18.

ALL GOOD THINGS MUST COME TO AN END: Illinois Wesleyan's 70-48 loss to Carroll, Jan. 22, marked the Green and White's first loss to the Pioneers since March 2, 2007, as well as the first since CU rejoined the CCIW. Prior to Saturday's setback, the Pioneer's previous win came in the NCAA Tournament where Carroll ousted IWU, 86-59.

R-N-J BABY: The Titans full-court press has flustered the opposition this season, and Millikin was no different. The Green and White forced 25 Big Blue turnovers, leading to 31 IWU points in its win Jan. 19. It marked the 13th time this season IWU has forced 20-or-more miscues. In fact, the Titans are 10-3 when doing so, compared to 0-4 when opponents record fewer than 20 turnovers.

PROVEN KEYS TO VICTORY: With 17 games complete, Illinois Wesleyan has established keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 8-1 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 9-1 when scoring 70-or-more points, while the Titans are 1-4 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 4.2 assists per game. She also ranks 29th in all of Division III with 67 assists this season as of Jan. 20.
She notched her 200th career assist in IWU's win at Elmhurst, Jan. 12, and currently sits 20th on IWU's career assist list with 215. She is just two behind Hannah Meharry for 19th (217).

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 24.69 turnovers per game, the 19th-most in Division III. The Green and White boasts a turnover margin of +8.00, the best in the CCIW, as well as the 13th-highest nationally. Fueled by its daunting run-and-jump full-court press, Illinois Wesleyan is snagging 13.1 steals per game. The clip ranks second in the CCIW and 28th 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 448 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.

THE 51ST YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 51st year of women's basketball, has compiled a 681-487 overall record. IWU's .583 all-time win percentage includes a 316-193 CCIW mark.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan returns home Wednesday, Jan. 26, as host to Elmhurst University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.