BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - For the first time this season, the nationally-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will take the hardwood inside the Shirk Center this Saturday, Nov. 23, as the Titans host Edgewood College in non-conference action. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will see longtime head coach Mia Smith go for career win No. 500.
    Illinois Wesleyan is 2-0 on the season after a sweep of the Calvin-Hope Classic, Nov. 15-16, in Grand Rapids, Mich. IWU defeated Calvin University, 79-60, before downing No. 9 Hope College, 74-65, Nov. 16. Edgewood has stumbled to a 1-3 record after winning its season opener, 68-56, at North Central University, Nov. 9. The Eagles, who have played a tough schedule, most recently fell to second-ranked Wartburg College, 74-35.
    Fans can catch a live stream of the game on the Titan Broadcast Network with Matt Sosler and Wesley Stombaugh on the call, while live stats and a radio broadcast will also be available. Links on how to follow along can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

CHASING 500: Veteran head coach Mia Smith is just one victory shy of 500 career wins. Her 499 career victories, all of which have come at the helm of the Titans, are the most of any active head coach in the CCIW and second-most in the league all-time. Additionally, her win total is 21st-most across all of active Division III head coaches. With a win, Smith would join former Millikin bench boss Lori Kerans as the league's only 500-win coaches on the women's side. Kerans accrued 556 over 32 sesaons leading the Big Blue.
    Under the tutelage of Smith, IWU has won 10 CCIW Championships and made 13 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Titans won the 2012 NCAA Division III Championship following a fourth-place finish in 2011.

THE 54TH YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, entering its 54th year of women's basketball, has compiled a 732-506 overall record. IWU's .591 all-time win percentage includes a 348-203 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

EXPERIENCE PAYING DIVIDENDS: Through two games, Illinois Wesleyan has shown immense poise by way of ball security. The Titans have dished out 34 assists to just 20 turnovers, good for 1.75 assist-to-turnover ratio. IWU's mark is ranked third nationally, while its 10 turnovers per game are slotted second-best across Division III. Futhermore, the Green and White's 17.5 assists per game is 40th-best.
    Individually, senior Kate Palmer is slotted eighth in the nation with a 6.00 assist-to-turnover ratio. Ava Bardic (2.25 - 69th) and Lauren Huber (2.00 - 92nd) are also inside the top-100. Bardic sits 74th nationally with 4.5 assists per contest.

PLAY FAST, HAVE FUN: Veteran head coach Mia Smith preaches an emphasis on having fun and just playing basketball, advice this season's team has truly taken to heart. Over the first two games of the season, IWU is outscoring opponents 35-3 in fastbreak points this season.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN LIVES ON: Illinois Wesleyan commonly used the second quarter to distance itself from opponents last season, and seems to be running it back so far in 2024-25. Through two games this year, IWU has outscored opponents 45-23, a difference of 22 points.

BA-BA-BALLI: Junior Sara Balli put together quite an opening weekend as she helped IWU to a pair of wins. Balli, who scored 117 points (4.0 ppg) last season, scored 27 points over the two-game stint. The Bloomingdale, Ill. native went 9-for-16 from the field, good for a 56.3 clip, averaging 13.5 points per game. She poured in 15 points, three off her career-high, in Illinois Wesleyan's opener at Calvin, before scoring 12 against Hope.

PICK YOUR POISON: Illinois Wesleyan used a balanced scoring effort to post a 2-0 record over opening weekend as five players hit double-digit points in IWU's wins over Calvin and Hope, Nov. 15-16. It was the first time IWU has had five-players with 10+ points since IWU's Senior Day win over North Central, Feb. 17, 2024. Lauren Huber paced IWU with 24 points, while Mallory Powers (14), Caite Knutson (12), Ava Bardic (11), and Kate Palmer (11) rounded out the group.
    Over the course of the entire 2023-24 season, Illinois Wesleyan saw five double-digit scorers in a game eight times.

TOP-10 WIN: The Titans, 74-65, win over No. 9 Hope, Nov. 16, marked Illinois Wesleyan's first win over a top-10 opponent since Nov. 24, 2018. That year, the Green and White rolled past ninth-ranked DePauw, 80-60, in the first game of the Midwest Challenge. Five Titans scored in double figures as Maddie Merritt, Nina Anderson, and Riley Brovelli tied for the team lead with 14 points apiece. Brovelli finished out a double-double with 10 rebounds, whil also tacking on four assists.

FRESHMAN FIRST: With a layup with 1:19 to play against Calvin, Nov. 15, freshman Alyssa Epps scored the first official points of her Titan career. Epps, who came to IWU by way of Montini Catholic, had previously made a three-pointer in IWU's exhibition loss at Division I Illinois State, Oct. 27.

I'LL TAKE THREES FOR 100, ALEX: Junior Ava Bardic knocked down four three-pointers over opening weekend, including the 100th triple of her career. Bardic, who drilled 42 three-balls during one season at Division II Illinois-Springfield, has converted 59 triples since joining the Titans.

POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan garnered a 10th-place ranking in the D3hoops.com Top-25 Preseason Poll released Monday, Oct. 28. Illinois Wesleyan earned 385 points as the Green and White earned its 129th all-time ranking by D3hoops.com.
    IWU is one of two College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin teams in the top-25, as Carroll sits at No. 21. Reigning Division III National Champion, NYU topped the poll with 24 of 25 first-place votes and 621 points. Wartburg ranked second with 562, while Scranton is third at 538. UW-Whitewater, which garnered the lone other first-place vote, ranks fourth with 499 points.
The Titans jumped three spots in the WBCA Poll, which released its newest rankings Nov. 19. Illinois Wesleyan now sits eighth in the poll, with Carroll in the receiving votes category.

ON THE HORIZON: IWU returns to the road for a bout at No. 3 UW-Whitewater Tuesday, Nov. 26, to kickoff a five-game roadtrip. Tipoff between the Titans and Warhawks is scheduled for 6 p.m.
    After Tuesday's top-25 tilt, Illinois Wesleyan will travel to St. Louis for the Midwest Challenge, Nov. 30-Dec. 1, before opening up CCIW play at North Park, Dec. 4. The roadtrip comes to a close with a nationally-ranked showdown as IWU takes on Carroll in Waukesha, Wis. Saturday, Dec. 7.