BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team takes its five-game win streak on the road Saturday, Dec. 3, for a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin bout at Carroll University. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside CU's Van Male Fieldhouse and will serve as the front end of a doubleheader with the IWU men's basketball team.
    The Titans began conference play with a 100-58 blowout win over Elmhurst University, Nov. 30, inside the Shirk Center. The win, which was IWU's fifth in-a-row, moved the Green and White to 6-2 on the season and 1-0 in league play. Carroll plays host to the Titans looking to push its record above .500 for the first time this season. The Pios defeated North Central College, 72-50, in their CCIW opener to level their record at 4-4 overall (1-0 CCIW).
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream, while Eric Stock will also have a radio broadcast of the game. Links on how to follow along can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

PLAYING THE PIOS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll will square off for the 26th time when the two battle in Waukesha on Saturday. The Pios hold a 15-10 edge in the all-time series, but the Titans have held the upperhand since Carroll rejoined the CCIW. IWU has won 10 of the past 11 meetings, including last season's CCIW Tournament Semifinal clash, 65-60.
The Titans saw four players score double-digit points, led by Lauren Huber's 19-point, nine-rebound effort. Mallory Powers added 12 points and seven rebounds, while notching a team-high four steals.

VISITING VAN MALE: The Titans will travel to Waukesha looking for their firs win on the Pios' home court since Jan. 18, 2020. IWU stumbled to a 70-48 setback at Van Male Fieldhouse last season, Jan. 22, 2022. The Green and White were unable to overcome 24 turnovers and a slow offensive performance as Carroll snapped IWU's nine-game win streak against its conference foe.

PLENTY OF POINTS PREDICTED: Saturday's game between the Titans and Pioneers will feature two of the highest-scoring offenses in the county. IWU enters the contest ranked seventh nationally with 618 points scored, while CU checks in 20th with 538 points to its credit.

BACK LIKE SHE NEVER LEFT: Returning to the court for the first time since Nov. 12, sophomore Mallory Powers burst back into action for the Titans, Nov. 30. Powers finished the game with 14 points, hitting her first four shots from beyond the arc. The Amboy, Ill. native concluded the game 5-for-7 from the field, 4-of-6 from three-point range, and added four rebounds and a steal.

KEEPIN' IT 100: Illinois Wesleyan cracked triple digits in its CCIW-opening win over Elmhurst, Nov. 30, inside the Shirk Center. IWU's 100 points scored in the 42-point victory, were the most since the Titans dropped 105 in a win over North Park Jan. 27, 2018. That game, which was also a 42-point IWU triumph, saw Ashley Schneider score a game-high 18 points. Molly McGraw and Raven Hughes added 14 points apiece, with Nina Anderson adding 11 points and six boards.
Nationally, IWU's 100-point performance marks the 22nd time this season a team has broken triple digits in points in Division III this season.

15 SCORERS: In IWU's win over Elmhurst, a season-best 15 different Titans registered a point. The contributions from a long list of players led IWU to a 46-33 advantage in bench scoring.

AN EVEN DOZEN: Illinois Wesleyan finished 12-for-29 from beyond the arc in its big win over Elmhurst, Nov. 30. IWU's 12 three-pointers, which were a season-high, came courtesy of seven different players. Mallory Powers hit four triples and Kate Palmer added three. Sara Balli, Emily Galvan, Taylor Tarver, Megan Moody, and Launi Chanthaboury also added one each. IWU's 12 threes were the most by the Titans since going 12-for-22 against Millikin Feb. 4, 2021.

KEYS TO VICTORY: With eight games complete, IWU has already developed several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 6-0 when score 60+ points, and also boasts a 6-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 6-0 when winning the turnover margin as opposed to 0-2 when finishing with more miscues than its opponent.

SCORERS, SCORE: Illinois Wesleyan has seen its starting five account for around 77 percent of the team's scoring so far this season. In fact, IWU has five players averaging double-digit points entering league play. Lauren Huber tops the Titans at 18.4 points per game, and is followed closely by Mallory Powers at 16.0 ppg (over three games). Kate Palmer is averaging 12.8 a contest, while Katelyn Heller (11.1 ppg) and Caite Knutson (10.9 ppg) round out the group.

THE 52nd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 52nd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 697-491 overall record. IWU's .587 all-time win percentage includes a 326-195 CCIW mark.

THE DEAN OF THE CCIW: The 2022-23 season marks the 25th year under the direction of Mia Smith, the longest tenured coach in the CCIW. Smith's 464 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 10 CCIW Championships and made 10 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Titans won the 2012 NCAA Division III Championship following a fourth-place finish in 2011.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS: Despite playing two of the nation's top-10 teams, Illinois Wesleyan has still seen a strong start to the season on the defensive end. IWU has allowed 492 points, while scoring 618. One game into the CCIW slate, the Titans lead the conference in points scored and are second in fewest points allowed.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored 618 points through eight games, the seventh-most in all of Division III as well as the most in the CCIW. Not only is IWU pushing up the score on the scoreboard, Illinois Wesleyan has done so rather efficiently. The Green and White ranked 15th in the country with a field goal percentage of 44.8.
The Titans are one of five teams nationally to be ranked inside the top-25 in both categories in all of Division III.

BACK-TO-BACK: With her second straight CCIW Player of the Week award, Lauren Huber is the first Titan to repeat as the league's weekly honoree since Kendall Sosa did so during the 2019-20 season.

CCIW CRYSTAL BALL: In the annual CCIW Coaches Preseason Poll, the Titans were predicted to finish second in the league. IWU, which received four first-place votes, came in second in the predicted standings with 58 points. No. 14 Millikin topped the poll with five first-place nods and 61 points, while Carroll (49) rounded out the top-three.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans get a much-deserved week off following Saturday's showdown, as IWU's next game is set for Saturday, Dec. 10. Illinois Wesleyan will host North Central College in the first of a double feature between the Titans and Cardinals. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.