BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The eighth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team heads north to Waukesha, Wis. for an afternoon contest against 25th-ranked Carroll University on Saturday, Jan. 20 to determine who will claim sole possession of the top spot in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season standings. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside Van Male Fieldhouse and will serve as the front end of a doubleheader with the Titan men's basketball team.
    Illinois Wesleyan rolls into Saturday with a 14-3 overall record along with a 7-1 mark in CCIW action. The Titans most recently dropped a heartbreaker to 17th-ranked Millikin inside the Shirk Center on Wednesday, Jan. 17, 93-91. Carroll, who sits at identical marks as the Titans at 14-3 on the year and 7-1 in league play, are winners of nine-straight with their last loss coming at the hands of the Titans on Dec. 2. The Pios most recently defended their home court, defeating Carthage College 90-58, on Wednesday, Jan. 17.
    A live stream along with live stats of the game will be available through links on the women's basketball schedule page of iwusports.com. Matt Sosler will also have the call on WESN.

PLAYIN' THE PIOS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll will square off for the 29th time when the two battle Saturday. The Pios hold a 16-12 edge in the all-time series, but the Titans have held the upper hand since Carroll rejoined the CCIW.  IWU has won 12 of the past 14 meetings, despite failing to win a game at Van Male Arena since the 2019-20 season.
    Earlier this season, the Titans got the best of the Pios at the Shirk Center. Playing without Ava Bardic and Lauren Huber, the Titans won a defensive battle, 65-59.
    IWU's last win in Waukesha came on the back of a 31-point game from Kendall Sosa  on Jan. 18, 2020.

THE 53rd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 53rd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 721-503 overall record. IWU's .589 all-time win percentage includes a 341-202 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE …THE BALL: Sawyer "The Grinch" White doesn't steal Christmas gifts, but in 16 games White has become one of the best in the country at stealing the basketball from the opposition. White ranks sixth in Division III with 71 steals on the season, while her 4.18 steals per game are good for seventh in the nation.
    In the Titan's first eight games of league play, White has improved those numbers to average 5.13 steals per game. This mark leads the CCIW, while the next closest thieves are averaging just 2.5 steals per game. In fact, White is well ahead of pace of the past six CCIW steals leaders. Over the past six full CCIW seasons, the league steals leader has recorded 42, 42, 35, 31, 47, and 41 over 16-game conference schedules. White has 41 through eight league games.

CAUTION: ROUGH ROADS CONTINUE: The Titans put their Wednesday loss to 17th-ranked Millikin in the rearview mirror and take on their second ranked opponent in-a-row as they travel to 25th-ranked Carroll this Saturday. Following the weekend road matchup, the Green and White turn their attention again to 17th-ranked Millikin as they head to Decatur, Ill. for a rematch with the Big Blue Wednesday, Jan. 24.
    The eighth-ranked Titans will take on three ranked opponents in-a-row for the first time since the 2018-19 season, when the then No. 12 Titans took on No. 21 Wisconsin-Whitewater, No. 13 DePauw, and No. 18 WashU in the span of five days. The Green and White dropped the first matchup against the Warhawks, before defeating the Tigers and Bears at the Midwest Challenge.

LOOKING TO REBOUND: As the Titans look to rebound from their loss to 17th-ranked Millikin on Wednesday, one bright spot in the defeat was the Green and White's rebounding. Going into the conference contest, the Titans ranked seventh in the CCIW in rebounding margin (-0.9) while MU ranked fourth at +5.3 on the boards. On Wednesday, the Titans outrebounded the Big Blue by 13 (50-35). Additionally, junior Mallory Powers recorded a career-high in rebounds with 19 boards, six of those coming on the offensive end.

SHARING IS CARING: Sharing the ball has been a signature of the Titans, as Illinois Wesleyan has been one of the best at it this season. IWU is 10th nationally with 17.6 assists per game. The Green and White also ranks 31st in DIII with a 1.10 assist-to-turnover ratio.
    Mallory Powers and Sawyer White top IWU with 57 and 54, respectively. Kate Palmer has been credited with 48 on the year, while Ava Bardic has collected 39.
    The Titans have posted 20-or-more assists five times this season, most recently accomplishing the feat with 22 against Augie, Jan. 7.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1396 points this season, the third-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 82.1 points per game, good for fifth-best in the country. The Green and White's offensive outburst has come with a 44.3 field goal percentage, the 15th-best nationally.

ANYONE'S NIGHT, ANY NIGHT: The 2023-24 season has displayed the balance of the Titans roster as IWU has seen 66 double-digit performances and eleven 20-point efforts through 17 games. IWU has seen six different players lead the team in scoring this season.

A DEEPER LOOK: Through 17 games, Illinois Wesleyan has developed some clear keys to victory. IWU, known for its frantic full court press, is 13-0 when winning the turnover battle versus an 1-3 record when committing more miscues than the opposition. Additionally, the Titans have fared better when getting to the free throw line more than their opponent. In fact, IWU is 13-1 when attempting more free throws and 1-2 when shooting fewer than its opponent.

THE DEAN OF THE CCIW: The 2023-24 season marks the 26th year under the direction of Mia Smith, the longest tenured coach in the CCIW. Smith's 488 wins are the most among active CCIW coaches by more than 150 and tied for 21st-most among active Division III head coaches. 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.

TURNING OVER MORE THAN JUST THE CALENDAR: Illinois Wesleyan's defense was unrelenting in the lopsided win at Hendrix, Dec. 29. The Titans nearly forced as many turnovers as points they allowed as Hendrix finished with 39 turnovers. The 39 turnovers by the Warriors are the most IWU has forced since North Park committed 39, Jan. 13, 2018, in IWU's 83-53 win.
The Titans are averaging 22.88 forced turnovers per contest, 27th-most in all of Division III.

POLLING STATION: The Titans are currently ranked in both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com Top-25 polls. Currently, IWU is 13th in the WBCA poll and eighth in the D3hoops.com rankings.
    Illinois Wesleyan is one of three College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin programs in the national rankings, with Millikin sitting 17th in the D3hoops rankings and 18th in WBCA. Carroll is slotted 25th in the D3hoops poll, while the Pios are receiving votes in the WBCA Top-25.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans get another crack at 17th-ranked Millikin next Wednesday, Jan. 24 at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Ill. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.