BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The third-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will make the 1064-mile trek down to San Antonio, Texas for its final two games of the 2024 calendar year Friday-Saturday, Dec. 27-28. IWU will take on Trinity University (Texas) along with East Texas Baptist University for the Titans' last two non-conference games as part of the Trinity (Texas) Tournament. The Green and White will square off with host, Trinity, Friday, Dec. 27 at 6 p.m. before battling ETBU Saturday, Dec. 28, at 3 p.m.
    The Green and White carry a 10-0 record into the holiday break tournament, and is out to its best start since the 2009-10 season. IWU most recently routed No. 18 University of Chicago, 71-52, Dec. 17, inside the Shirk Center. Trinity is 5-2 on the season and has won its past two games, while both of its loses have come to University of Mary Hardin-Baylor. TU enters the tournament off an 88-53 throttling of Dallas Christian College, Dec. 14. ETBU sits at 9-2 overall and most recently stunned No. 2 Wartburg College, 64-47.
    Fans can catch a live stream of the game, while live stats will also be provided. Links on can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

TAKING ON THE TIGERS: Illinois Wesleyan holds a combined 0-3 record against this weekend's Texas-based foes, with all three loses coming against Trinity (Texas). Saturday will mark the first-ever meeting between IWU and East Texas Baptist.
The Titans will take on TU for the first time since Dec. 29, 2013 when the Tigers tripped up the Green and White, 86-71, in San Antonio. Trinity used a 51-point second half to expand on a four-point halftime lead and down IWU.

SHE'LL TAKE THAT X200: 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. With four steals in Illinois Wesleyan's win over No. 18 Chicago, White hit 200 steals for her career, becoming just the fifth Titan in program history to do so. 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.
    The Downers Grove, Ill. native, who set the program's single-season steals record a season ago, is 21st across Division III with 3.40 thefts per game, while her 34 steals are 15th-most.

BACK TO THE LONGHORN STATE: This week's trip to San Antonio will mark Illinois Wesleyan's first trip to the state of Texas since the 2019-20 season. That year, IWU traveled to Belton, Texas for a game against then-No. 5 Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Titans came away with a 67-55 setback despite a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double from Sydney Shanks and a record-setting 20-rebound effort from Riley Brovelli. Illinois Wesleyan led by one into the fourth quarter, but UMHB used a 23-10 advantage in the final 10 minutes to upend IWU by 12 points.
    Overall, the Titans hold a 3-4 record in the state of Texas since the 2000-01 campagin.

PERFECT 10, IN SEARCH OF MORE: With their win over No. 18 Chicago, Dec. 17, the Titans ran their record to 10-0 on the season. It is IWU's best start since the 2009-10 campaign, when the Green and White won its first 18 contests. IWU went on to finish 28-2 overall, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Tournament, where its season came to an end with a heartbreaking, 77-76, loss to UW-Stevens Point.

NEARING COMMA CLUB MEMBERSHIP: Senior Kate Palmer is closing in on 1000 career points, as her career total sits at 987 through 97 career games as of Dec. 23. Palmer is just 13 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 10 games, Illinois Wesleyan has shown immense poise by way of ball security. The Titans have dished out 159 assists to 131 turnovers, good for a 1.22 assist-to-turnover ratio. IWU's mark is ranked 14th nationally, while its 13.1 turnovers per game are slotted 15th-best and its 16.0 assists per game are 42nd across Division III.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN LIVES ON: Illinois Wesleyan has commonly used the second quarter to distance itself from opponents. Through 10 games this year, IWU has outscored opponents 220-138, a difference of 82 points. The Titans have outscored all but one opponent in the second period this season, losing the quarter, 26-12, at Carroll, Dec. 7.

POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan sits inside the top-five in both the D3hoops.com and WBCA Top-25 polls as of Dec. 17. IWU ranks third in the D3hoops.com poll, and held steady at 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.

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 507-207.  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 740-506 overall record. IWU's .594 all-time win percentage includes a 350-203 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

ON THE HORIZON: After returning from Texas, the Titans will turn their attention to conference play. The Green and White get back into CCIW play after the New Year with a trip to King Arena for a 5 p.m. bout with Wheaton College Saturday, Jan. 4.