BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With the non-conference portion of its schedule complete, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team rolls into College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play Sunday, Jan. 7, at Augustana College. Tipoff between the nationally-ranked Titans and the Vikings is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will serve as the front end of a double feature with the IWU men's basketball team.
    Illinois Wesleyan completed the non-conference slate with a 94-45 thumping of Hendrix College, Dec. 29, to close out the 2023 calendar year with an 11-2 overall record. IWU sits at 4-0 in league play, with its last conference game having been played Dec. 9. On the flip side, Augustana is 8-5 on the season and 3-1 in league play. The Vikings most recently held off Elmhurst University, 69-67, on the road Wednesday, Jan. 3.
    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. Eric Stock and Joel Swanson will also have the call on WESN.

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, 51-35. The two teams split last season's series, however IWU has come out victorious in 30 of the past 37 meetings.
The home team defended its arena in last year's two meetings. IWU held off Augie, 78-69, inside the Shirk Center, Jan. 14, before the Vikings edged the Titans, 75-72, in Rock Island, Jan. 28.

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 13th in the D3hoops.com rankings.
    Illinois Wesleyan is one of two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin programs in the national rankings, with Millikin sitting 11th in the D3hoops poll and 14th in the WBCA rankings. Additionally, Carroll is in the receiving votes section of the D3hoops.com poll.

THE COOLEST Q-CAST EPISODE EVER: Eight members of the team joined #d3hoops connoisseur Bob Quillman on season four, episode 24 of the Q-Cast to discuss the season so far and their experiences as Titan student-athletes. Watch Caite Knutson, Lauren Huber, Kate Palmer, Mallory Powers, Ava Bardic, Sara Balli, Laura Mahlum, and Sawyer White star on the Q-Cast by clicking here.



THE GRINCH WHO STOLE …THE BALL: Sawyer "The Grinch" White doesn't steal Christmas gifts, but in the Titan's first 13 games of the season, White has become one of the best in the country at stealing the basketball from the opposition. White ranks sixth in Division III with 55 steals on the season, while her 4.23 steals per game also ranks sixth in the nation.
    In the Titan's first four games of league play, White has improved those numbers to average 6.3 steals per game. This mark leads the CCIW, while the next closest thieves are averaging just 3.0 steals per game.
    Most recently, White posted a near double-double with 10 points and a career-high nine steals at Hendrix, Dec. 29. Her nine thefts were the most by a Titan since Lexi Baltes set the record with 12 against Chicago, Dec. 7, 2013.

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 Illinois Wesleyan has forced since North Park committed 39, Jan. 13, 2018, in IWU's 83-53 win.
    Illinois Wesleyan is averaging 23.54 turnovers per contest on a strength of schedule that ranks 28th-toughest nationally. IWU's miscues forced per game are 27th-most in all of Division III.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!: Illinois Wesleyan has held opponents below 50 points 22 times since the  start of the 2012-13 campaign.

LOPSIDED WIN: Illinois Wesleyan dug its way out of an early deficit to roll past Hendrix, 94-45, Dec. 29, in Conway, Ark. After trailing by 10 midway through the opening quarter, the Green and White used a 21-0 run to cruise to the victory. The Titans 49-point margin of victory was its largest since beating Eureka, 91-41, Dec. 1, 2021.

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 17.5 assists per game. The Green and White also ranks 33rd in DIII with a 1.09 assist-to-turnover ratio.
    Mallory Powers tops IWU with 43 assists, with Sawyer White adding 42. Kate Palmer has been credited with 39 on the year, while Ava Bardic has collected 33.
    The Titans have posted 20-or-more assists four times this season. Most recently, IWU dished out 23 against Hendrix, Dec. 29.

KNUTSON CLICKING: Currently in the midst of a breakthrough season, Caite Knutson has been a key part of IWU's success since the start of conference play. In fact, since Nov. 29, Knutson is averaging a team-best 14.3 points per game with a field goal percentage of 57.4. The 6-foot forward has added 5.2 rebounds per contest over the six-game stretch, with seven assists, six steals, and four blocks.
In conference play, Knutson ranks eighth in field goal percentage (50.0), tied for ninth in blocks (0.8 bpg), 17th in scoring (12.5 ppg), and 16th in rebounding (5.3 rpg).

ANYONE'S NIGHT, ANY NIGHT: The 2023-24 season has displayed the balance of the Titans roster as IWU has seen 49 double-digit performances and ten 20-point efforts through 13 games. IWU has seen six different players lead the team in scoring this season.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1029 points this season, the 14th-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 79.2 points per game, good for 15th-best in the country. The Green and White's offensive outburst has come with a 43.0 field goal percentage, the 39th-best nationally.

A DEEPER LOOK: Through 13 games, Illinois Wesleyan has developed some clear keys to victory this season. IWU, known for its frantic full court press, is 11-0 when winning the turnover battle versus an 0-2 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 10-0 when attempting more free throws and 1-2 when shooting fewer than its opponent.

THE 53rd YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, now in its 53rd year of women's basketball, has compiled a 718-502 overall record. IWU's .589 all-time win percentage includes a 338-201 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

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 485 wins are the most among active CCIW coaches by more than 150 and 23rd-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 six-game roadtrip that has spanned more than a month comes to a close Wednesday, Jan. 10, as the Green and White travels to the Windy City for a 7 p.m. game against North Park University.