BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Illinois Wesleyan University's women's basketball team returns to the hardwood after a seven-day hiatus for a key College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin battle with Wheaton College Saturday, Jan. 21. Tipoff is set for 5 p.m. inside Wheaton's King Arena.
    Illinois Wesleyan holds record of 9-8, including a 4-4 league mark. The Titans most recently bested Augustana College, 78-69, inside the Shirk Center, Jan. 14. Wheaton sits at 10-7 on the season, 5-3 in the CCIW, and looks to bounce back from a 71-49 home loss to Carroll University, Jan. 18.
    Fans can tune into the game via live stats or live stream of the game. Links on how to follow along can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

AGAINST THE THUNDER: Saturday's CCIW showdown between Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton will be the 88th all-time meeting between the two conference foes. The Thunder hold a 56-31 edge in the all-time series, but the Titans have won three of the past four tilts between the two conference foes.
Wheaton won in Bloomington, 63-57, in the first bout between the two, Dec. 17. The Thunder outscored the Titans, 23-11, in the final period to upend IWU on its home court. Lauren Huber tallied 19 points and 14 rebounds in the loss.

SHARING IS CARING: Illinois Wesleyan dished out 17 assists in its win at Carthage, Jan. 4, its highest in a game since November. Mallory Powers and Lauren Huber tallied career-highs of seven and six, respectively. Sharing the ball has been a key to IWU's success this season, as the Titans boast a 6-2 record when recording 13-or-more assists in a game.

HELLO, HELLER: Senior Katelyn Heller continued her strong start to the New Year, with a career-high 25 points in a win over Augustana, Jan. 14. It marked the third 20-point game of her career.
She had been 8-for-33 over the final four games of 2022, Dec. 10-30. Since the NPU game, Heller is shooting 53.1 percent (26-for-49) and has put up 17.3 points per game. She is also adding 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game over the last four contests.

THAT WORD IS NOT IN HER VOCABULARY: Lauren Huber has showed no signs of a sophomore slump this season as the second-year starter is averaging 18.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. For the season, Huber ranks second in the CCIW in scoring, first in rebounding, and 10th in assists. She is the only player in the conference to be ranked in the top-10 in all three categories. Additionally, the sophomore leads the CCIW in field goal percentage at 52.2 and fifth in free throw percentage (73.2).

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored 1224 points this season, the most in the CCIW. Additionally, IWU's point total is 29th-most in all of Division III and has come as the Green and White boasts the 52nd-ranked field goal percentage at 41.7.

CLOSING TIME: When the Titans have come out victorious, for the most part they have left little doubt. In fact, IWU is 8-2 in games decided by 11-or-more points. On the flip side, Illinois Wesleyan is 1-6 in games decided by 10 points or fewer. The Green and White has been spurned by the fourth quarter this season, outscoring its opposition just once over the final 10 minutes this season (18-11 at Carroll). Moreover, IWU has been outscored in the final period by a combined 151-122 in its eight losses.

KEYS TO VICTORY: With 17 games complete, IWU has developed several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 9-2 when scoring 60+ points, and also boasts a 6-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 8-2 when winning the turnover margin as opposed to 1-6 when finishing with more miscues than its opponent.

THE 52nd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 52nd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 700-497 overall record. IWU's .585 all-time win percentage includes a 329-199 CCIW mark. The program's 700th win came at home, Jan. 14, as the Titans took down Augustana, 78-69.

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 467 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.

ON THE HORIZON: The Green and White hosts North Park Wednesday, Jan. 25, in CCIW play. The midweek clash is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
    North Park held of IWU, 63-58, in the Windy City, Jan. 4, in the first meeting between the two squads this season. Katelyn Heller scored 22 points in game, but NPU's strong fourth-quarter gave the Vikings the win.