BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 11th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team returns home for a date with College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opponent Augustana College on Saturday, Jan. 27. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. and will serve as the first half of a doubleheader with the Illinois Wesleyan men's squad.
     Illinois Wesleyan rolls into Wednesday with a 15-4 overall record along with a 8-2 mark in CCIW action. The Titans most recently dropped a game this Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 16th-ranked Millikin University, 94-77, to fall into a tie atop the CCIW regular season standings alongside the Big Blue. Augustana rolls into the contest in solo fourth place in the CCIW, sporting an 11-8 overall record on the season and a 6-4 mark in league action. Augie dropped their most recent contest at Wheaton on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 67-49.
     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. Emma Thorman and Matt Sosler will have the call.

PINK ZONE PARTY: Illinois Wesleyan will host Augustana 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. This year's PinkZone apparel was designed by IWU women's volleyball student-athletes Annika Altekruse and Morgan Harrington.

AGAINST AUGIE ALL-TIME: Illinois Wesleyan and Augustana share a long history that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign. The Titans hold the upper hand in the 86-game series, 52-35, including winning two of the last three meetings. In addition, IWU has come out victorious in 31 of the past 38 meetings.
     The Green and White dominated the Vikings on their home court on Jan. 7, 98-59. In the first half alone, the Titans outscored Augie 61-33. All five starters for the Titans (Powers, Bardic, Knutson, White, and Palmer) scored in double figures.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN: The Titans have outscored their opponents 211-169 (+42) 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 over twice as much, 241-149 (+92), in the second period.

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 77 steals on the season, while her 4.05 steals per game are good for seventh in the nation.
    In the Titan's first nine games of league play, White has improved those numbers to average 4.7 steals per game. This mark leads the CCIW, while the next closest thieves are averaging just 2.4 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 47 through 10 league games.

POLLING STATION: The Titans are currently ranked in both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com Top-25 polls. Currently, IWU is 17th in the WBCA poll and 11th 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 16th in the D3hoops rankings and 18th in WBCA. Carroll is slotted 24th in the D3hoops poll, while the Pios are receiving votes in the WBCA Top-25.

HOME COOKING: One of the greatest venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 650 Titan basketball games between the men and women. In its 27-year history, the women have won 254 of 337 of its home games, good for a .754 win percentage.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1545 points this season, the fourth-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 81.3 points per game, good for sixth-best in the country. The Green and White's offensive outburst has come with a 43.9 field goal percentage, the 17th-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 30th nationally with 16.8 assists per game. The Green and White also ranks 46th in DIII with a 1.05 assist-to-turnover ratio.
    Mallory Powers and Sawyer White top IWU with 62 and 58, respectively. Kate Palmer has been credited with 51 on the year, while Ava Bardic has collected 41.
    The Titans have posted 20-or-more assists five times this season, most recently accomplishing the feat with 22 against Augie, Jan. 7.

THE 53rd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 53rd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 722-504 overall record. IWU's .589 all-time win percentage includes a 342-203 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 74 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 1-3record 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 13-2 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.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans stay at home for a midweek matchup against Wheaton College Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.