BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The 13th-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team prepares for a weekend matchup against College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin foe Carthage College on Wednesday, Feb. 7 in Kenosha, Wis. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. inside Tarble Arena.
     Illinois Wesleyan rolls into Wednesday with an 18-4 overall record along with a 11-2 mark in CCIW action, which is good for the top spot in the conference. The Titans most recently rolled Elmhurst on the road, 99-65, on Wednesday, Feb. 7. Since the Titans defeated Carthage on Jan. 13, the Firebirds have lost their footing, dropping five of their last six contests. Carthage most recently was defeated by North Park in Chicago, 73-64, on Wednesday, Feb. 7, handing the Vikings their first CCIW win of the season. Carthage sits in seventh place in the conference at 4-9, just a half of a game back of Elmhurst for the all-important sixth spot.
     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, while Matt Sosler will have the call on 88.1 FM WESN.

FACING THE FIREBIRDS: Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage have met on the hardwood 79 times ahead of Saturday's CCIW clash with IWU holding a 51-28 lead in the all-time series. The Titans have won 16 straight against the Firebirds.
Illinois Wesleyan won the Jan. 13 meeting between the two inside the Shirk Center, 97-76. Mallory Powers and Kate Palmer scored 18 points apiece as 11 total Titans found the scoring column.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN: The Titans have outscored their opponents 272-209 (+63) in the first 10 minutes in CCIW games this year. While this mark is on the positive side, it does not compare to the damage the Titans have done in the second period. The Green and White are outscoring CCIW foes by nearly twice as much, 314-187 (+127), in the second period.

STOLEN RECORD: Sawyer White, formerly known as "The Grinch," broke the Illinois Wesleyan school record for steals in a single season with 92 and counting on Wednesday against Elmhurst. White stole the crown from Titan great Rebekah Ehresman, who had 90 total steals in the 2017-18 season. With three regular season games left and postseason play upcoming, White has time to extend her lead and move up the CCIW list of single season steals leaders, where she currently is tied for seventh all-time and the only student-athlete who has played in the 21st century.
In all of Division III, White ranks fifth in steals and steals per game with 4.18. In the Titan's first 13 of league play, White has improved those numbers to average 4.8 steals per game. This mark leads the CCIW, while the next closest thieves are averaging just 2.5 steals per game.

#24 IN 2024: Since the turn of the new year, junior Kate Palmer has cemented herself as one of the best two-way players in the conference. Palmer has scored in double figures in seven of nine games in 2024. Not only can she score herself, but she is also one of the top distributors on the Titan roster. Palmer is ranked 10th in Division III with a 3.05 assist-to-turnover ratio.
      Even more impressive perhaps has been Palmer's defense. While the Titans are known for their run and jump full-court defense, Palmer has been a star in the half court, locking down the opposition's best scorer. Carroll's Rangel, Carthage's Morrissey, Wheaton's Tate, and Millikin's Knudsen, all top-six in the CCIW in scoring, have all been held below their season points average at the hands of Palmer this season.

FEBRUARY MADNESS: With just three regular season games remaining before CCIW Tournament play begins, postseason implications loom large for both teams this Wednesday night. For Illinois Wesleyan, they control their own destiny on the way to a CCIW regular season title and home court advantage in the CCIW tournament. IWU is tied atop the CCIW with Carroll, but with IWU's sweep of CU, the Titans would ultimately earn the No. 1 seed by way of the tiebreaker if the season ended today.
    The top-six teams in the standings make the CCIW Tournament, and, after dropping four straight, Carthage finds itself a half game back of the sixth-place position. Carthage has three games remaining, two of those being against top-25 opponents in Illinois Wesleyan and Millikin.

CHOOSE YOUR PLAYER: If Illinois Wesleyan women's hoops was made into a video game, it would be impossible to go wrong when you "pick your player." The Titans' rotation of 8+ players is one of the best in the CCIW. There is, of course, the Green and White's casual leading scorer, rebounder, and preseason All-American Lauren Huber. Newcomer Ava Bardic has been huge for the Titans, averaging 14.5 points per game. Mallory Powers is also a great option, who scores 12.5 points per game and is the Titans' top distributor at 3.3 assists per game.
    Kate Palmer is one of the Titans' top defenders, playing the most minutes, and averaging 13.4 points in CCIW play. You can't go wrong with Sawyer White, who is top-five in the country in steals. Caite Knutson has the best field goal percentage on the Titans in conference play, shooting at a .570 clip. Not to mention sophomores Sara Balli and Laura Mahlum, who have scored in double figures a combined six times this season. So, whoever you choose to start on your team, chances are they're going to have a pretty good game.

POLLING STATION: The Titans are currently ranked in both the Women's Basketball Coaches Association and D3hoops.com Top-25 polls. Currently, IWU is 19th in the WBCA poll and 13th in the D3hoops.com rankings.
    Illinois Wesleyan is one of three College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin programs in the national rankings, with Millikin sitting 14th in the D3hoops rankings and 21st in WBCA. Carroll is slotted 20th in the D3hoops poll, while the Pios are receiving votes in the WBCA Top-25.

A DEEPER LOOK: Through 22 games, Illinois Wesleyan has developed some clear keys to victory. IWU, known for its frantic full court press, is 17-0 when winning the turnover battle versus an 1-4 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 16-2 when attempting more free throws and 2-2 when shooting fewer than its opponent.

PUTTING UP THE POINTS: The Titans have scored a whopping 1807 points this season, the seventh-most of any Division III team. IWU is scoring 81.3 points per game, good for sixth-best in the country. The Green and White's offensive outburst has come with a 43.8 field goal percentage, the 18th-best nationally.

ON THE HORIZON: The Titans return home for a Valentine's Day date with North Park inside the Shirk Center on Wed. Feb. 14. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.