BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team continues its lengthy roadtrip Saturday afternoon, Jan. 8, at Carthage College's Tarble Arena. Tipoff between the Titans and Firebirds is slated for 2 p.m.
Illinois Wesleyan enters the weekend tilt with a 6-6 record, highlighted by a 3-0 start to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. The Titans most recently went 1-1 on their trip to the Pacific Northwest, downing George Fox University, 65-61, and falling to Pacific University, 71-65. Carthage is 8-5 on the season and 3-2 in CCIW play. The Firebirds are coming off a 51-45 overtime loss at home to Carroll University, Jan. 5.
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.

SCHEDULE SHUFFLING: Illinois Wesleyan's game against Elmhurst, originally scheduled for Jan. 5, was postponed to Monday, Jan. 10. The CCIW updated its COVID scheduling guidelines to require teams to have a minimum of eight medically-cleared student-athletes to play.

FRESHMEN FEATS: Freshman Lauren Huber picked up her second double-double of the season with 24 points and 11 rebounds, both team highs, against Pacific, Dec. 31. She previously posted a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double in IWU's CCIW opener, Dec. 1.
Huber's two double-doubles are the most by a Titan freshman since Maddie Merritt recorded two during the 2015-16 campaign.

FACING THE FIREBIRDS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage have met on the hardwood 74 times ahead of Saturday's CCIW clash with IWU holding a 46-28 lead in the all-time series. The Titans have won 11 straight against the Firebirds.
    The two will meet for the first time since the 2019-20 season. IWU claimed a 62-61 win over Carthage on Sydney Shanks' jumper with nine seconds to go, before  securing the No. 2 seed in the CCIW Tournament with a 70-62 triumph at Carthage, Feb. 22, 2020. Kendall Sosa led the Titans with 24 points and tied Samantha Munroe and Riley Brovelli for the team lead with six rebounds.

MAKING THE MOST OF MINUTES: Junior Kelly Carlson has made the most of her minutes coming off the bench in Illinois Wesleyan's past four games in ways that are not always apparent in the box score. The 5-foot-10 forward boasts a team-best +34 plus-minus over IWU's games against North Central, Chicago, George Fox, and Pacific.

THE 51ST YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 51st year of women's basketball, has compiled a 677-486 overall record. IWU's .582 all-time win percentage includes a 312-193 CCIW mark.

PROVEN KEYS TO VICTORY: With 12 games complete, Illinois Wesleyan has established keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 5-1 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 5-1 when scoring 70-or-more points, while the Titans are 1-3 when opponents eclipse 70 points. IWU is also 4-0 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 3.8 assists per game. She also ranks 55th in all of Division III with 55 assists this season.
She currently sits at 192 career assists and is just eight away from becoming the 23rd Titan to notch 200-or-more in a career. She currently ranks 24th on IWU's career assist list, just one behind former teammate Samantha Munroe (193).

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 24.42 turnovers per game, the 27th-most in Division III. The Green and White boasts a turnover margin of +5.1, the second-best in the CCIW, as well as the 42nd-highest nationally. Fueled by its daunting run-and-jump full-court press, Illinois Wesleyan is snagging 12.8 steals per game. The clip ranks fourth in the CCIW and 33rd 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 444 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 12 games. In fact, Illinois Wesleyan is the only team in the conference with five 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 13.6 points per game, the highest mark on any freshman in the CCIW. Brooke Lansford is ninth at 12.3 ppg, Catie Eck is 17th at 9.8 ppg, and Kate Palmer is 22nd with 9.0 ppg. Mallory Powers rounds things out in 25th with 8.5 points per contest.

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 point per game, Huber is sixth (13.6), Palmer is 22nd (9.0), and Powers is 25th (8.5). Huber is IWU's top rebounder at 7.0 caroms per contest, tied for fifth most in the league, while Powers' 5.5 are tied for 14th-most in the CCIW. Huber's field goal percentage of 48.5 in third-best in the conference, while she is 13th in free throw percentage at 69.8. Palmer is tied for sixth with 1.8 three-pointers per game, with Powers just behind her at 1.4 per game (tied for 13th). Huber is also second on the Titans and tied for eighth in the CCIW with 1.9 steals per game.

ON THE HORIZON: IWU's roadtrip rolls on with a short turnaround as the Titans travel to R.A. Faganel Hall to take on Elmhurst University Monday, Jan. 10. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.