BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 10 Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team travels to the Windy City for the final stop of its six-game road stint at North Park University Wednesday night, Jan. 10. Tipoff of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matchup is slated for 7 p.m.
    The Titans carry a 12-2 overall record, highlighted by a 5-0 CCIW mark, into Wednesday night's bout. IWU most recently rolled past Augustana College, 98-59, in Rock Island, Ill., Jan. 7. North Park, which has lost back-to-back games, sits at 3-11 overall and 0-5 in the league standings. The Vikings most recently lost to Wheaton College, 65-46, Jan. 6.
    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.

TALE OF THE TAPE: Illinois Wesleyan and North Park will square off for the 78th time Wednesday evening, Jan. 10. The Titans hold a commanding 62-16 advantage in the all-time series and have won 37 of the past 40 meetings with the Vikings dating back to the 2004-05 season.
    The two teams split last season's meetings. NPU erased IWU's halftime lead to win the initial meeting, 63-58, in Chicago Jan. 4, 2023. The Titans later toppled the Vikings, 86-52, inside the Shirk Center, Jan. 25. Lauren Huber led IWU with 22 points and 13 rebounds, while Sawyer White posted a double-double with 12 points and nine boards off the bench. Caite Knutson added 18 points, five boards, and three assists, while Katelyn Heller scored 15 points to go along with six assists and five caroms.

WHOLE LOTTA POINTS: The Titans' highly efficient offense has scored them 94 and 98 points, respectively, in wins over Hendrix and Augustana in their two most recent contests. The last time the Green and White hung 90+ points on their opponents in back-to-back games was during the 2017-18 season, when IWU scored 108 points against North Central, 105 against North Park, and 99 against Augustana to claim three straight conference wins.

POLLING STATION: The Titans are currently ranked in both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com Top-25 polls. Currently, IWU is tied for 15th in the WBCA poll and 10th 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 18th in both rankings. Additionally, Carroll is in the receiving votes section of the D3hoops.com poll.

HIGH FIVE: Sunday's win over Augustana saw IWU's starting five of Sawyer White, Kate Palmer, Mallory Powers, Caite Knutson, and Ava Bardic score in double figures, Jan. 7. The Titans have had five players in double figures three other times this season, but never all five starters. Coincidentally, the last time all five starters scored in double figures was exactly one year prior at Carthage, when Katelyn Heller, along with Huber, White, Powers, and Palmer individually put up 10+ points.

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 both the men and women. In its 27-year history, the women have won 253 of 335 of its home games, good for a .755 win percentage.

THE GRINCH WHO STOLE …THE BALL: Sawyer "The Grinch" White doesn't steal Christmas gifts, but in 14 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 61 steals on the season, while her 4.36 steals per game are good for fifth in the nation.
    In the Titan's first five games of league play, White has improved those numbers to average 6.2 steals per game. This mark leads the CCIW, while the next closest thieves are averaging just 2.8 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 31 through five league games.

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 17.8 assists per game. The Green and White also ranks 19th in DIII with a 1.14 assist-to-turnover ratio.
    Mallory Powers tops IWU with 49 assists, with Sawyer White adding 45. Kate Palmer has been credited with 40 on the year, while Ava Bardic has collected 34.
    The Titans have posted 20-or-more assists five times this season. Most recently, IWU dished out 22 against Augie, Jan. 7.


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 14.4 points per game with a field goal percentage of 59.0. The 6-foot forward has added 4.7 rebounds per contest over the seven-game stretch, with eight assists, eight steals, and five blocks.
    In conference play, Knutson ranks seventh in field goal percentage (53.3), tied for 14th in scoring (13.0 ppg), and 19th in rebounding (4.6 rpg).

ANYONE'S NIGHT, ANY NIGHT: The 2023-24 season has displayed the balance of the Titans roster as IWU has seen 54 double-digit performances and ten 20-point efforts through 14 games. IWU has seen six different players lead the team in scoring this season.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1127 points this season, the seventh-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 80.5 points per game, good for seventh-best in the country. The Green and White's offensive outburst has come with a 43.4 field goal percentage, the 25th-best nationally.

A DEEPER LOOK: Through 14 games, Illinois Wesleyan has developed some clear keys to victory. IWU, known for its frantic full court press, is 12-0 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 11-0 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 719-502 overall record. IWU's .589 all-time win percentage includes a 339-201 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 486 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: After more than a month away from home, the Titans return to the Shirk Center for a CCIW clash with Carthage College Saturday, Jan. 13. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. and will serve as the front end of a doubleheader with the IWU men's basketball team.