BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 14th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team is set for a midweek College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matchup with Wheaton College on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
     Illinois Wesleyan rolls into Wednesday with a 16-4 overall record along with a 9-2 mark in CCIW action. The Titans most recently dominated Augustanta College, 85-59, in the annual PinkZone contest on Saturday, Jan. 27, to retain the top spot in the CCIW regular season rankings. Wheaton rolls into the contest in a tie for sixth place in the CCIW, sporting an 11-8 overall record on the season and a 4-6 mark in league action. Wheaton won its most recent contest against Augustana also, 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.

AGAINST THE THUNDER: Wednesday's CCIW showdown between Illinois Wesleyan and Wheaton will be the 91st all-time meeting between the two conference foes. The Thunder hold a 56-34 edge in the all-time series, but the Titans have won six of the past seven tilts.
      Illinois Wesleyan walloped Wheaton, 74-49, earlier this year inside King Arena, Dec. 6. Ten Titans found themselves in the scoring column, as Kate Palmer, Mallory Powers, and Sara Balli all scored in double figures.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN: The Titans have outscored their opponents 229-184 (+45) in the first 10 minutes of 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, 272-159 (+113), in the second period.
        In the Titans' PinkZone win over Augustana, Illinois Wesleyan found themselves with just an 18-15 lead before busting the game open in the second quarter, outscoring the Vikings 31-10 in the second period.

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE …THE BALL: Sawyer "The Grinch" White doesn't steal Christmas gifts, but in 20 games White has become one of the best in the country at stealing the basketball from the opposition. White ranks fifth in Division III with 81 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 4.6 steals per game. This mark leads the CCIW, while the next closest thieves are averaging just 2.4 steals per game. With five regular season games remaining plus postseason, White ranks 18th on the all-time list of CCIW single-season steals leaders with 81 on the year. White is only nine steals away from claiming the Illinois Wesleyan school record, currently held by Rebecca Ehresman with 90 swipes during the 2017-18 season.

FEBRUARY MADNESS: With just five regular season games remaining before CCIW Tournament play begins, postseason implications loom large for both teams this Wednesday night. For Illinois Wesleyan, it controls its own destiny on the way to a CCIW regular season title and home court advantage in the conference tournament. The Titans are tied atop the CCIW with Carroll, but with Carroll's regular season sweep of Millikin paired with IWU's sweep of Carroll, the Titans would ultimately win the tiebreaker if the conference tournament started today.
    The top six teams in the standings make the CCIW Tournament, and Wheaton finds themselves in a tie with Carthage for the all-important sixth spot. Wheaton dropped one meeting against Carthage earlier this season, but the two will meet again on Feb. 14.

POLLING STATION: The Titans are currently ranked in both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com Top-25 polls. Currently, IWU is 20th in the WBCA poll and 14th 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 15th in the D3hoops rankings and 21st in WBCA. Carroll is slotted 20th 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 255 of 338 of its home games, good for a .754 win percentage.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1630 points this season, the fifth-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 81.5 points per game, good for sixth-best in the country. The Green and White's offensive outburst has come with a 43.7 field goal percentage, the 18th-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 20th nationally with 17.2 assists per game. The Green and White also ranks 36th in DIII with a 1.09 assist-to-turnover ratio.
    Mallory Powers and Sawyer White top IWU with 66 and 63, respectively. Kate Palmer has been credited with 55 on the year, while Ava Bardic has collected 44.
    The Titans have posted 20-or-more assists six times this season, most recently accomplishing the feat with 21 against Augie, Jan. 27. White dished out five assists, while Palmer and Powers were credited with four each.

THE 53rd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 53rd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 723-504 overall record. IWU's .589 all-time win percentage includes a 343-203 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

A DEEPER LOOK: Through 20 games, Illinois Wesleyan has developed some clear keys to victory. IWU, known for its frantic full court press, is 15-0 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 14-2 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 490 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.

ANYONE'S NIGHT, ANY NIGHT: The 2023-24 season has displayed the balance of the Titans roster as IWU has seen 78 double-digit performances and eleven 20-point efforts through 20 games. IWU has seen six different players lead the team in scoring this season.

HOME GROWN: For the second straight season, the Titans boast a fully-Illinois bred roster. This is just the fourth time since 2012-13 IWU has had a roster without any out-of-state players.

ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan takes the weekend off before traveling to Elmhurst, Feb. 7, for a 7 p.m. bout against the Bluejays at R.A. Faganel Hall.