BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team hits the road for a midweek College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin clash with the Elmhurst University Wednesday, Feb. 1. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside R.A. Faganel Hall.
The Titans, who are 11-9 on the season and 6-5 in league play, are looking to get back on track after a tough loss at the hands of Augustana College on Saturday, Jan. 28. Despite a 30-point performance from sophomore Lauren Huber, the Titans lost in a nailbiter, 75-72, to fall into 5th place in the conference standings. Elmhurst, on the other hand, sits at 2-16 on the season and 0-10 in CCIW play. The Bluejays most recent contest also resulted in a loss at the hands of the Augustana Vikings on Wednesday, Jan. 25.
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.
BATTLING THE BLUEJAYS: Wednesday night's CCIW clash will mark the 80th all-time meeting between Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst since the two first tangled during the 1981-82 campaign. The Bluejays took the first meeting, 75-67, but the Titans own a 63-16 edge in the all-time series and have won 13 straight against Elmhurst. Additionally, IWU is 46-6 against EU under Mia Smith.
In their most recent meeting, Nov. 30, 2022, Illinois Wesleyan rode a strong start to a 100-58 victory. Lauren Huber went off for 22 points in 20 minutes of action, as 15 different players scored in the win.
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.
SHARING IS CARING: Illinois Wesleyan dished out a season-high 21 assists in its win over North Park, Jan. 25. Katelyn Heller dished out six, while Kate Palmer and Sawyer White added four each. Sharing the ball has been a key to IWU's success this season, as the Titans boast a 7-3 record when recording 12+ assists.
CCIW NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR APPLICATION: Freshman dual-sport athlete Sawyer White has seemingly found her stride on the hardwood after taking a few weeks to find her footing following a successful soccer season. In 2023, the Downers Grove, Ill. native has finished in double figures four times in the past seven games, including a career-high 16 points versus Carthage, Jan. 7. After recording a career-high nine assists at Augustana, Jan. 28, White is averaging 8.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.1 steals, and 2.4 assists over the last seven contests.
LAUREN BALLER HUBER: Her middle name might as well be baller, as sophomore Lauren Huber raked in her fourth CCIW Player of the Week honors of the season following a 21-point, 16-rebound performance and game-winning bucket in a two-point road win over Wheaton on Jan. 21.
For the season, Huber ranks second in the conference in scoring (19.6 ppg), while leading the league in rebounding (10.1 rpg) and field goal percentage (53.5). She also ranks 11th in assists (2.2 apg), making her the only player in the CCIW inside the conference's top-11 in scoring, rebounding, and assists.
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 first game of 2023 (Jan. 4 against NPU), Heller is shooting 49.4 percent (41-for-83) and has put up 14.3 points per game. She is also adding 5.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game over the last nine contests.
POW POW POW POW!?!: Lauren Huber reeled in her fourth CCIW Player of the Week honor of the season Monday, Jan. 22. With her selection, she becomes the first Titan to receive the award four times in a season since Olivia Lett received the honor five times in 2011-12.
CLOSING TIME: When the Titans have come out victorious, for the most part they have left little doubt. In fact, IWU is 9-2 in games decided by 11-or-more points. On the flip side, Illinois Wesleyan is 2-7 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 three times over the final 10 minutes this season (18-11 at Carroll, 15-14 at Wheaton, 19-18 at Augustana). Moreover, IWU has been outscored in the final period by a combined 169-141 in its nine losses.
KEYS TO VICTORY: With 20 games complete, IWU has well-established several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 10-3 when scoring 60+ points, and also boasts a 8-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 9-3 when winning the turnover margin as opposed to 2-6 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 702-498 overall record. IWU's .585 all-time win percentage includes a 331-200 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 469 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 Titans return home for their next contest, Saturday, Feb. 4, for the Pink Zone game against Carroll University. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. inside the Shirk Center and will serve as the front end of a double feature with the IWU men's team.
