BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Coming off its first loss of the season, the second-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team will look to find its footing and get back in the win column this Tuesday, Feb. 11, as the Titans host North Park University. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center. The game, which was originally scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 12, was moved up due to expected weather.
    Illinois Wesleyan's tremendous 20-game win streak came to an end over the weekend as the Green and White fell, 87-81, at Carthage College, Feb. 8. With the setback, IWU heads into the week with a 20-1 overall record and owns an 11-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin standing. North Park, which saw a 15-game losing skid begin with a loss to Illinois Wesleyan earlier this season, carries a 3-19 overall record. The Vikings are in search of their first league win at 0-13 and most recently lost at North Central College, 82-71, Feb. 8.
    Matt Sosler will bring you the call on the live stream as well as on the radio, while live stats will also be provided. Links can be found on the women's basketball schedule page of IWUsports.com.
WIN STREAK SNAPPED: The Titans saw their season-opening 20-win streak halted at Carthage, Feb. 8, with an 87-81 setback. IWU's 20-0 start was the best for the program since 2008-09, and marks the second-longest winning streak in program history. The Green and White's 20 straight victories are the most since the Titans won 18 in-a-row during the 2009-10 campaign
TALE OF THE TAPE: Illinois Wesleyan and North Park will square off for the 82nd time since the series began and the second time this season. The Titans hold a commanding 65-16 advantage in the all-time series and have won 40 of the past 43 meetings with the Vikings dating back to the 2004-05 season.
    Earlier this season, Illinois Wesleyan throttled North Park in the opening half en route to an 88-57 win in Chicago, Dec. 4. A total of 13 players scored for IWU, with Mallory Powers (15) and Lauren Huber (12) leading the way.
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 267 of 351 of its home games, good for a .760 win percentage.
This season, IWU is 8-0 inside the friendly confines of the Shirk Center. The Titans posted an 8-3 record on their home floor during the 2023-24 campaign.
TOURNAMENT PICTURE: With four regular season games to play, there is still much to be sorted out when it comes to the CCIW Tournament. Illinois Wesleyan can clinch a top-two seed with a win over North Park tomorrow. Meanwhile, the Titans hold a one-game lead in the race for a league title. IWU is 11-1 in league play, with Carroll right on its heels at 10-2.
RISING THE RANKS: Continuing to climb the IWU career record lists, Lauren Huber has established herself as one of the all-time greats in program history. Huber currently sits second on the all-time scoring list, 11 points ahead Molly McGraw's third-ranked total (1577), with 1588 career points, and 44 points behind record holder Traci Butler (1632). Additionally, with seven rebounds against Carroll, Feb. 5, Huber became the third player in program history to secure 800-or-more rebounds. With 812 career boards, Huber is behind program record holder Elaine Hill (901) and Christina Solari (884).
    Futhermore, she is the only player in program history with 1500+ points and 800+ rebounds during their IWU career. She is one of five players in program history to posted 1200+ points and 600+ rebounds joining Elaine Hill (1415p-901r), Kristen Schroff (1415p-726r), Sara Seebruch (1288p-611r), and Rebekah Ehresman (1236p-604r).
COMMA CLUB CLIMBER: 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 18th on the program's all-time scoring list (1099 points), trailing Gwynne Roberts 17th-ranked point total of 1163.
    Senior Mallory Powers is approaching 1000-point membership, sitting 79 points out of the club. The Amboy, Ill. native is 30th on the program's all-time scoring list with 921 career points.
BARDIC FOR 1000: With a free throw in the waning seconds of Illinois Wesleyan's, 81-75, win over Carroll, Feb. 5, junior Ava Bardic surpassed 1000 career points. Bardic, who transferred to IWU as a sophomore ahead of last season, scored 312 points as a freshman at Division II University of Illinois-Springfield. The Lincolnshire, Ill. native has scored 700 points during her Titan career as of Feb. 10 and is averaging 13.1 points per game at IWU.
POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan held steady inside the top-five in both the D3hoops.com and WBCA Top-25 polls as of Feb. 4. IWU ranks second in the D3hoops.com poll and held at third in the WBCA list announced Feb. 4. IWU's ranking in D3hoops is the program's highest since being No. 1 following the conclusion of the 2011-12 season.
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 232 as of Feb. 10. 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, with White ranking third all-time, four behind Shanks.
    The Downers Grove, Ill. native, who set the program's single-season steals record a season ago, is 27th across Division III with 3.14 thefts per game, while her 66 steals are 23rd-most.
FEAR THE SECOND TEN LIVES ON: Illinois Wesleyan has commonly used the second quarter to distance itself from opponents. Through 21 games this year, IWU has outscored opponents 409-283, a difference of 126 points. The Titans have lost the quarter just twice over 21 games - 26-12, at Carroll, Dec. 7 and 24-9, at Trinity (Texas), Dec. 27. IWU and Carthage went point-for-point, Feb. 8, with the quarter finishing even, 15-15.
THE 54TH YEAR OF IWU WOMEN'S HOOPS: Illinois Wesleyan, in its 54th year of women's basketball, has compiled a 750-507 overall record. IWU's .595 all-time win percentage includes a 358-204 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.
EXPERIENCE PAYING DIVIDENDS: Through 21 games, Illinois Wesleyan has shown immense poise by way of ball security. The Titans have dished out 328 assists to 295 turnovers, good for a 1.12 assist-to-turnover ratio. IWU's mark is ranked 24th nationally, while its 14.0 turnovers per game are slotted 49th-best and its 15.7 assists per game are 53rd 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 517-208. 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.
ON THE HORIZON: Illinois Wesleyan will finish out the home portion of its regular season schedule this Saturday, Feb. 15, against Millikin University. The Senior Day showdown is scheduled for a 2 p.m. tipoff inside the Shirk Center and will see the Titans honor seniors Lauren Huber, Caite Knutson, Mallory Powers, and Kate Palmer prior to game time. IWU's men's team will battle the Big Blue in the second game of the day, which is scheduled for a 4:15 p.m. tipoff and will include a Senior Day recognition of Hakim Williams, Trey Bazzell, Shane Miller, Nick Roper, Harrison Wilmsen, and Nick Roper.
