BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A three-game homestand begins Wednesday, Jan. 8, as the second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team hosts Augustana College in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin bout. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.
    The Green and White carries a 13-0 record, which includes a 4-0 CCIW mark, into Wednesday's midweek matchup. The Titans most recently rode a strong second half to a 59-45 win at Wheaton College, Jan. 4. Meanwhile, Augustana holds a 5-7 overall record and stands at 1-2 in CCIW play. The Vikings most recently split a pair of games at the Titan Holiday Classic hosted by University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, Dec. 20-21. Augie fell to then-No. 5 UW-Oshkosh, 77-52, before toppling Concordia University-Chicago, 78-44.
    Fans can catch a live stream of the game, while live stats will also be provided. Matt Sosler and Brittany Carper will have the call on WESN. Links on can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.

HONORING THE CHAMPS (AND THEN SOME): Wednesday night's game will see three different recognitions take place. Pregame, Illinois Wesleyan will present Kate Palmer with her 1000 point ball, a feat she achieved during the Titans' trip to Texas. Additionally, IWU women's basketball and IWU athletics will recognize Dick "Popo" Thomas, a longtime and loyal fan of Titan athletics, who passed away Dec. 18. "Popo" as he was lovingly called, was a fixture atop the balcony seating for several decades and a tremendous supporter of Illinois Wesleyan and Titan athletics.
    The final of the three recognitions will take place at halftime as the IWU women's volleyball team is honored following a historic season. The Titans swept the CCIW titles, winning the regular season and tournament championships, before making a run to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Division III Tournament. The Green and White posted a 24-10 overall record, finished league play 8-0, and tied the best national finish in program history.

AGAINST AUGIE ALL-TIME: Illinois Wesleyan and Augustana share a long history that dates back to the 1976-77 campaign. The Titans hold the upper hand in the 89-game series, 54-35. The Vikings have only come out on top in seven of the last 41 meetings, with IWU having won 22 straight against Augie inside the Shirk Center dating back to Feb. 9, 2002.
     The Green and White swept last season's regular season series before rolling past the Vikings, 77-51, in the CCIW Tournament semis, Feb. 22. A balanced offense saw six post nine-or-more points, led by Ava Bardic and Lauren Huber, who put up 14 -points each. Kate Palmer added 13 points, with Sawyer White going for 11 points and seven steals. Mallory Powers and Sara Balli tied for the team lead with six rebounds apiece, while talling nine points each.

HOME COOKING: One of the greatest venues in NCAA Division III, the Shirk Center has been home to more than 750 Titan basketball games between the men and women. In its 30-year history, the women have won 262 of 346 of its home games, good for a .756 win percentage.
This season, IWU is 3-0 inside the friendly confines of the Shirk Center. The Titans posted an 8-3 record on their home floor during the 2023-24 campaign.

NO SOUP FOR YOU!: Illinois Wesleyan has held opponents below 50 points 26 times since the  start of the 2012-13 campaign. The most recent occasion came at Wheaton, Jan. 4, where IWU came away with a 59-45 win. It is the fewest points given up by the Titans since Dec. 29, 2023 when the Green and White rolled to a 94-45 win at Hendrix. It's the fewest allowed in a conference game since limiting North Park to 42 back on March 6, 2021.

CLEAN UP, AISLE 5: Senior Lauren Huber hauled in a season-high 15 rebounds in Illinois Wesleyan's win at Wheaton, Jan. 4, the most by a Titan this season. Huber's 15 caroms are the most by a Titan since Mallory Powers corralled 19 against Millikin Jan. 17, 2024. Huber's rebounding outburst came alongside 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting as the Lombard, Ill. native secured her first double-double of the season.

30 NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD: Illinois Wesleyan is back in action Saturday, Jan. 11, as host to North Central. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. and will be the first leg of a doubleheader with the IWU men's basketball team as Illinois Wesleyan celebrates the 30th anniversary of the Shirk Center. One of the best venues in Division III, the Shirk Center has been a tremendous space for all of the Titan athletic programs as well as the Bloomington-Normal community and beyond.

POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan sits inside the top-five in both the D3hoops.com and WBCA Top-25 polls as of Jan. 7. IWU ranks second in the D3hoops.com poll, having earned one first-place vote, and held at third in the WBCA list announced Jan. 7. IWU's ranking in D3hoops is the program's highest since being No. 1 following the conclusion of the 2011-12 season.

KP JOINS THE COMMA CLUB: Senior Kate Palmer hit a free throw in overtime against Trinity (Texas) to push her career point total to 1000 through 98 career games. Palmer is just the 26th member of the exclusive club. The Geneva, Ill. native currently ranks 25th on the program's all-time scoring list (1008 points), trailing Maggie Lamb's 24th-ranked point total of 1013.

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. Her career total currently stands at 210 as of Jan. 5. 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 23rd across Division III with 3.38 thefts per game, while her 44 steals are eighth-most.

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. Now at 13-0, IWU's off to its 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.

EXPERIENCE PAYING DIVIDENDS: Through 13 games, Illinois Wesleyan has shown immense poise by way of ball security. The Titans have dished out 203 assists to 188 turnovers, good for a 1.09 assist-to-turnover ratio. IWU's mark is ranked 31st nationally, while its 14.5 turnovers per game are slotted 53rd-best and its 15.7 assists per game are 58th across Division III.

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 510-207.  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.