BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With the non-conference season complete, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will turn its attention to College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin action for the remainder of the regular season. The Titans kick off the 2023 calendar year with a road game at North Park University Wednesday night, Jan. 4. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
    Illinois Wesleyan holds a 7-6 overall record following a shaky close to the 2022 calendar year. The Titans, who have lost three in-a-row, are even at 2-2 in league play. North Park sits at 5-7 on the season and 1-2 in league play. The Vikings snapped a three-game losing skid just before the New Year with a 72-63 triumph over Benedictine University, Dec. 31.
    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.

SOY BRINGS THE SAUCE: Freshman Sawyer White made the most of a career-high 35 minutes of action in IWU's overtime tilt at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps, Dec. 30. The backup point guard nearly hauled in a double-double with 11 points and nine rebounds, both of which were career-highs. White went 5-for-11 from the floor and also added a team-high five steals to go with a pair of assists.
White has seemingly found her stride on the hardwood after taking a few weeks to find her footing following a successful soccer season. The Downers Grove, Ill. native is averaging 6.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.5 assists over the last four games. She is also shooting 46.2 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from three-point distance.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Illinois Wesleyan and North Park will square off for the 76th time Wednesday evening, Jan. 4. The Titans hold a commanding 61-15 advantage in the all-time series and have won 36 of the past 38 meetings with the Vikings dating back to the 2004-05 season.
    The Green and White is currently on a four-game win streak against NPU, including a sweep of last season's meetings. IWU escaped Chicago with a 68-49 win Jan. 24, behind double-digit scoring performances from seniors Brooke Lansford, Catie Eck, and Kaia Bowen. The Titans then took down the Vikings, 81-60, in Bloomington, Feb. 9. Illinois Wesleyan overcame a slow start to earn the win as five players scored 10+ points.

LEAVING POINTS ON THE LINE: Illinois Wesleyan's three-game losing skid could have just as easily seen the games swing in favor of the Green and White. IWU left a combined 25 points at the free throw line over the three games, shooting just 57.6 percent (34-of-59) from the free throw line. The Titans went 20-for-35 at the charity stripe in a six-point loss to Wheaton, Dec. 17. Illinois Wesleyan then went 5-for-10 in a three-point setback at La Verne and 9-for-14 in a two-point OT loss at Claremont-Mudd-Scripps.

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 19.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. For the season, Huber ranks second in the CCIW in scoring, first in rebounding, and eighth 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 53.4.
Over the past four games, Huber is putting up 24.8 points, 13.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.0 steal per contest on a field goal percentage of 53.8.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored 952 points this season, the most in the CCIW. Additionally, IWU's point total is 12th-most in all of Division III and has come as the Green and White boasts the 48th-ranked field goal percentage at 41.8.

KEYS TO VICTORY: With 13 games complete, IWU has already developed several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 7-2 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 7-2 when winning the turnover margin as opposed to 0-4 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 698-495 overall record. IWU's .585 all-time win percentage includes a 327-197 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 465 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.

TENACIOUS TITAN DEFENSE: The Titans' trademark run-and-jump full-court press has IWU among the best in the country in turnover margin this season. In fact, Illinois Wesleyan is +4.92 in the turnover tally, the best mark in the league. Nationally, the Titans' mark ranks 50th. The Green and White hold a 5-1 record when forcing 20+ miscues compared to a 2-5 record when opponents have less than 20 turnovers.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan continues on its five-game roadtrip with its third fourth straight game away from the Shirk Center Saturday, Jan. 7, when the Titans travel to Carthage College. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be the front end of a double dip with the IWU men's basketball team.