BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 11th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team extends its streak of taking on ranked teams this Wednesday, January 24 as the Titans take the short drive to Decatur, Ill. for a rematch with College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponent, 16th-ranked Millikin University. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Griswold Center.
     Illinois Wesleyan rolls into Wednesday with a 15-3 overall record along with a 8-1 mark in CCIW action. The Titans most recently picked up a huge win at Carroll this Saturday, January 20, 72-68, to claim sole possession atop the CCIW regular season standings. Millikin, who sits at 15-3 on the season and 7-2 in league play, are winners of five-straight, having picked up wins against the Titans and Elmhurst in the past week. The Big Blue defeated Elmhurst 93-80 on Saturday, January 20, inside R.A. Faganel Hall.
     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.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN: The Titans have outscored their opponents 197-152 (+45) in the first 10 minutes in CCIW games this year. While this mark is on the positive side, it does not compare to the damage the Titans have done in the second period. The Green and White are outscoring CCIW foes by twice as much, 215-125 (+90), in the second period.

MATCHIN' UP WITH MILLIKIN: Wednesday night's matchup will mark the 105th edition of the Illinois Wesleyan-Millikin rivalry, a series that dates back to the 1972-73 season. IWU held off MU in the initial meeting, 38-33, and won the first four games between the two conference foes. Overall, Millikin owns a 58-47 edge in the all-time series. However, IWU is 36-23 against MU under the direction of Mia Smith.
    Exactly a week ago, the Big Blue garnered a comeback win against the Titans inside the Shirk Center, 93-91, on the back of a Sophie Darden layup with four seconds remaining in the game. Millikin accomplished a rare three-game series sweep of Illinois Wesleyan last year and carries a four-game win streak against the Titans into Wednesday night.

ONE OF THE TOP TITANS: Illinois Wesleyan fans will see a familiar face leading the Big Blue in sixth-year head coach Olivia Lett when IWU and Millikin square off Wednesday, Jan.24. One of the greatest basketball players in IWU history, Lett was a three-year letterwinner for the Titans from 2009-12. The 2012 CCIW Player of the Year, Lett led Illinois Wesleyan to a NCAA Division III National Championship in 2012.
    She finished her career ranked second all-time in scoring average at 15.4 ppg, tied for second in blocks (70), third in free throw percentage (.829), seventh all-time with 1,354 points, ninth in field goals made (474), and 10th in three-pointers made (135) and free throws made (271).

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE …THE BALL: Sawyer "The Grinch" White doesn't steal Christmas gifts, but in 18 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 73 steals on the season, while her 4.06 steals per game are good for sixth in the nation.
    In the Titan's first nine games of league play, White has improved those numbers to average 4.8 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 43 through nine league games.

CAUTION: ROUGH ROADS CONTINUE: The Titans put their Wednesday, Jan. 17 loss to then 17th-ranked Millikin in the rearview mirror and defeated 25th-ranked Carroll on Saturday, Jan. 20. Following the weekend road matchup, the Green and White turn their attention again to current 16th-ranked Millikin as they head to Decatur, Ill. for a rematch with the MU Wednesday, Jan. 24.
    The No. 11 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.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1468 points this season, the fifth-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 81.6 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 14th-best nationally.

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 23rd nationally with 17.0 assists per game. The Green and White also ranks 45th in DIII with a 1.06 assist-to-turnover ratio.
    Mallory Powers and Sawyer White top IWU with 57 and 55, respectively. Kate Palmer has been credited with 48 on the year, while Ava Bardic has collected 40.
    The Titans have posted 20-or-more assists five times this season, most recently accomplishing the feat with 22 against Augie, Jan. 7.

COMEBACK KIDS: Since the start of the 2008-09 season, Illinois Wesleyan has posted 26 wins after trailing by 10-or-more points. The most recent comeback effort came at Carroll, Jan. 20, as IWU came back from a 12-point deficit. Prior to that the Titans accomplished the feat at Hendrix, Dec. 29, where IWU erased a 10-point first quarter deficit to wallop the Warriors, 94-45. Earlier this season, IWU erased an 18-point deficit to take down Puget Sound, 78-77. It marked the third-largest comeback for the Titans since the 2008-09 season.

THE 53rd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 53rd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 722-503 overall record. IWU's .589 all-time win percentage includes a 342-202 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

ANYONE'S NIGHT, ANY NIGHT: The 2023-24 season has displayed the balance of the Titans roster as IWU has seen 70 double-digit performances and eleven 20-point efforts through 18 games. IWU has seen six different players lead the team in scoring this season.

A DEEPER LOOK: Through 18 games, Illinois Wesleyan has developed some clear keys to victory. IWU, known for its frantic full court press, is 14-0 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 2-2 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 489 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 22.72 forced turnovers per contest, 27th-most in all of Division III.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans return home for the annual PinkZone game on Saturday, January 24 to take on Augustana College. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. inside the Shirk Center and will serve as the front end of a double header with the Titan men's team.