BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team returns home for its annual PinkZone game against College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foe Carroll University Saturday, Feb. 4. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
    The Titans, who sit at 12-9 on the season and 7-5 in conference play, are coming off a big win at Elmhurst University on Wednesday, Feb. 1. The Titans and Bluejays played close in the first quarter before the Titans offense erupted en route to a 81-47 road victory. Carroll (14-6, 9-2 CCIW) is riding a six-game win streak on its way to Bloomington. The Pios most recently defeated North Central College on the road 91-55 on Wednesday, Feb. 1.
    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.

PINK ZONE PARTY: Illinois Wesleyan will host Carroll Saturday as part of its annual PinkZone game. Clothing with this year's PinkZone logo will be sold throughout the day, as IWU raises money for the community cancer center.

PLAYING THE PIOS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll will square off for the 27th time when the two battle Saturday. The Pios hold a 16-10 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 12 meetings, including last season's CCIW Tournament Semifinal clash, 65-60.

EFFICIENCY IS HIGH: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll are two of the top offenses in the CCIW this season. In fact, IWU leads the league with 1519 points scored (21st nationally) and sits third with a field goal percentage of 42.7 (34th nationally). Meanwhile, Carroll's 46.0 clip tops the league in field goal percentage. The Pios point total (1441) is good for third-best in the CCIW this season.

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 8-3 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 five times in the past eight 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 8.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.9 assists, and 2.4 steals over the last eight 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 (19.1 ppg), while leading the league in rebounding (9.9 rpg) and field goal percentage (53.4). 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. Nationally, she is eighth in field goals made (164), 17th in points (401), and 28th in field goal percentage (53.4).

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 50.6 percent (45-for-89) and has put up 14.0 points per game. She is also adding 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.1 steals per game over the last nine contests.

KEYS TO VICTORY: With 21 games complete, IWU has well-established several keys to victory. Illinois Wesleyan is 11-3 when scoring 60+ points, and also boasts a 9-0 mark when limiting opponents to no more than 59 points. Additionally, the Green and White is 10-3 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 703-498 overall record. IWU's .585 all-time win percentage includes a 332-200 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 470 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 continue their homestand, welcoming the top team in the CCIW to the Shirk Center on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Tipoff against Millikin is scheduled for 7 p.m.