BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - With final exams complete, the third-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team sets its sights on a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin bout against the Bluejays of Elmhurst University Saturday, Dec. 14, inside the Shirk Center. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
    Illinois Wesleyan returns to action after a week-long break. The Titans are 8-0 on the season, 2-0 in league play, and rallied back from a double-digit deficit in their last outing to knock off Carroll University, 80-71, on the road. Saturday's game will mark just the second home game of the season for the Green and White, with the lone other contest coming back on Nov. 23. Elmhurst carries a 7-1 record into Bloomington as the Bluejays are off to their best start in more than a decade. EU took down Wheaton College last Saturday, Dec. 7, by a final score of 73-58 to move to 1-1 in CCIW play.
    Fans can catch a live stream of the game with Matt Sosler and Brittany Carper on the call, while live stats will also be provided. Links on can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

OWNING THE OPPORTUNITY: Caite Knutson proved to be the catalyst for Illinois Wesleyan's comeback at Carroll, Dec. 7, as the senior put up season-highs across the board. Whether it was coming through with a timely bucket or grabbing a much-needed rebound, Knutson made the most of her season-high 35 minutes. The Maryville, Ill. native scored 15 points and grabbed a team-high nine boards, while shooting 7-for-12 from the field.

HOME COOKING: One of the greatest venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 700 Titan basketball games between the men and women. In its 27-year history, the women have won 260 of 344 of its home games, good for a .756 win percentage.
    This season, IWU is 1-0 inside the friendly confines of the Shirk Center. The Titans posted an 8-3 record on their home floor during the 2023-24 campaign.

COMEBACK KIDS: Since the start of the 2008-09 season, Illinois Wesleyan has posted 28 wins after trailing by 10-or-more points. The most recent comeback came at Carroll, Dec. 7, as the Green and White erased an 11-point CU lead. It was the second double-digit comeback for the Titans this season.

BATTLING THE BLUEJAYS: Saturday's CCIW clash will mark the 84th all-time meeting between Illinois Wesleyan and Elmhurst since the two first tangled during the 1981-82 campaign. The Titans own a 67-16 edge in the all-time series and have won 15 straight against Elmhurst. Additionally, IWU is 49-6 against EU under Mia Smith.
    Last season, the Titans opened CCIW play with a win against the Bluejays inside the Shirk Center, Nov. 29, 2023. Five Titans scored in double digits, as Sara Balli led the way with a career-high 18 points. IWU followed that with a 99-65 win at Elmhurst, Feb. 7. Four double-digit scoring efforts were led by Mallory Powers' game-high 17 points.

FINALS MAY BE OVER, BUT THERE'S STILL AN ASSIGNMENT: The Titans will be tasked with defending one of the league's top scorers through the early part of the season when Elmhurst visits the Shirk Center this Saturday. Kristin Bukata, a sophomore guard for the Bluejays, ranks second in the league in scoring with 18.0 points per game and is shooting 48.5 percent from the field. Bukata has hit double figures in all but one game this season and heads into Saturday off back-to-back 20-point efforts. She dropped 26 points in a loss at Augustana, Dec. 4, and went for 22 points against Wheaton, Dec. 7. Through two league games, she has averaged 24.0 points per game on a 58.1 clip (18-of-31).

SWIPER CLOSING IN: The Green and White's high-motor pressure, especially in its run-and-jump, has caused opponents fits this season. Leading the effort for the Titans has been junior Sawyer White, who has become equally well-known for her thieving abilities on the court as she is for a good celebration griddy on the bench. White's career steals total sits at 196 as of Dec. 10. She is four thefts away from 200 for her career and currently sits fifth on IWU's all-time steals list. The Downers Grove, Ill. native, who set the program's single-season steals record a season ago, is 14th across Division III with 3.75 thefts per game, while her 30 steals are 21st-most.
    Rebekah Ehresman holds the record with 296 accrued during her career from 2014 to 2018, while Sydney Shanks is second with 233. Hope Schulte (223) and Christina Solari (216) are the only other two Titans to surpass 200 steals in their careers.

NEARING COMMA CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Senior Kate Palmer is closing in on 1000 career points, as her career total sits at 959 through 95 career games as of Dec. 10. Palmer is just 41 points away from joining IWU's 1000-point club, looking to be the 26th member of the exclusive club. The Geneva, Ill. native currently ranks 28th on the program's all-time scoring list.

EXPERIENCE PAYING DIVIDENDS: Through eight games, Illinois Wesleyan has shown immense poise by way of ball security. The Titans have dished out 127 assists to 104 turnovers, good for a 1.23 assist-to-turnover ratio. IWU's mark is ranked 14th nationally, while its 13.0 turnovers per game are slotted 14th-best and its 16.0 assists per game are 55th across Division III.

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 eight games this year, IWU has outscored opponents 173-119, a difference of 54 points. The Titans have outscored all but one opponent in the second period this season, losing the quarter, 26-12, at Carroll, Dec. 7.

DEAN OF THE CCIW: Veteran head coach Mia Smith earned her 500th career win as Illinois Wesleyan rolled past Edgewood, 88-57, in its home opener Saturday, Nov. 23. Smith, who has accrued all of her wins at the helm of the Titans, is just the second coach in CCIW history to win at least 500 games. She carries a career record of 505-207.  The current conference leader in wins among active head coaches, Smith's career win total ranks second in league laurels. Additionally, her win total is 21st-most across all of active Division III head coaches.
    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, in its 54th year of women's basketball, has compiled a 738-506 overall record. IWU's .593 all-time win percentage includes a 349-203 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan sits inside the top-five in both the D3hoops.com and WBCA Top-25 polls as of Dec. 10. IWU ranks third in the D3hoops.com poll, and hopped up to No. 4 in the WBCA list. IWU's ranking in D3hoops is the program's highest since being No. 1 following the conclusion of the 2011-12 season.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans will remain at home for a quick turnaround as they play host to the University of Chicago Tuesday night, Dec. 17. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. and will see former Titan and member of the 2012 NCAA Division III National Championship team, Michelle Gardner-Bilek lead the  No. 18 Maroons against her alma mater in her first year as head coach.