BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - For the first time since 2018, the Shirk Center will be the site of NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament action as the Illinois Wesleyan University women's basketball team plays host to the first and second rounds Friday-Saturday, March 7-8. The fourth-ranked Titans will welcome Centre College, Transylvania University, and No. 13 Trine College to the Shirk Center for regional play. Transy and Trine are set to play in the 5 p.m. game Friday night, March 7, before IWU and Centre tangle in the 7:30 p.m. bout.
    Illinois Wesleyan carries a 26-1 overall record into the NCAA Tournament. The Titans qualified with the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's automatic bid after winning the league tournament, March 1. The Green and White defeated second-seeded Carroll University, 95-86. Centre holds a 21-7 mark and brings a seven-game win streak into the Shirk Center. The Colonels won three games, including knocking off No. 1 seed Millsaps College, 61-57, to win the Southern Athletic Association Tournament. Winners of 16 straight, Transy swept the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference regular season and tournament titles. The Pioneers enter the weekend 22-5 following a 69-62 triumph over Mount St. Joseph University, March 1.
    The games can also be viewed on the NCAA Championship Pass app or on NCAA.com. Live stats will also be available. Links can be found on the schedule page of IWUsports.com.

POLLING PLACE: Illinois Wesleyan held steady inside the top-five in both the D3hoops.com and WBCA Top-25 polls as of March 5. IWU ranks fourth in both the D3hoops.com and WBCA polls. Trine is 13th in D3hoops and 15th in the WBCA rankings.

MARCH MADNESS MODE: Illinois Wesleyan will make its 16th all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament Friday night when it clashes with Centre. Since first making the tournament in 1995, IWU has compiled a 21-15 record in the tourney. The Titans played in the third-place game in 2011 and won the Division III National Championship in 2012.

STRONG ON BOTH SIDES: Illinois Wesleyan is one of 15 schools across Division III to have both its men's and women's basketball teams competing in the NCAA Tournament this season. In fact, IWU's combined history ranks the Titans among the top in Division III. In research compiled by former WashU  SID Chris Mitchell, the IWU enters the tourney with 78 combined wins - fifth-most in Division III.

WELCOME TO THE SHIRK CENTER: This weekend will mark the first time the Titans have hosted NCAA Tournament action since the 2017-18 season. Coincidentally, Illinois Wesleyan's pod included Trine as well as Marietta and DePauw. IWU took down Marietta, 83-77, in the opening round but fell to Trine, 79-70, in the second round to close the season with a 25-4 record.

NICE TO MEET YOU: Illinois Wesleyan and Centre will meet on the hardwood for the first time Friday, March 7, when the two square off in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. It will be IWU's sixth meeting with a Southern Athletic Association opponent as the Titans are 3-2 against the league all-time. Meanwhile, the Colonels are 0-1 against the CCIW all-time. The lone bout came against Augustana on Dec. 20, 2014, where the Vikings downed Centre, 72-49.

IWU VS. THE FIELD: This year's 64-team field includes four teams IWU faced during the nine-game non-conference season. The Titans are 4-0 against the field this year, with wins over East Texas Baptist, DePauw, Calvin, and UW-Whitewater. Three of the four wins came on the road, while IWU knocked off DePauw on a neutral floor as part of the Midwest Challenge, Nov. 30.

POINT SCORERS: Illinois Wesleyan's high-pace play has resulted in the Titans piling up the points this season. In fact, IWU is 10th nationally with 2136 points scored and is ninth with a scoring average of 79.1 points per game. The Green and White's high scoring has come alongside a field goal percentage of 43.9 percent - 21st-best nationally.

HUBER POPS OFF: After missing out on CCIW Most Outstanding Player honors, Lauren Huber proved otherwise. Over two CCIW Tournament games, Huber averaged 21.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 2.5 steals all while shooting 58.6 percent (17-of-29) from the floor. The Lombard, Ill. native put up a 28-point, 11-rebound double-double in the CCIW Tournament Championship game to power IWU to its first tournament title since 2022.

SHE'S A WINNER: Sophomore Sophia Feeney may have more wins under her belt this academic year (50) than any female student-athlete in IWU history. Feeney won the CCIW regular season and tournament titles in volleyball, where she was a Second Team All-CCIW setter, and helped guide the Green and White to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Titans' finish tied for the best in program history as the team finished with a 24-10 record. Since then, Feeney has helped fuel the women's basketball program to a 26-1 record and a sweep of the league regular season and tournament championships.

CEMENTING HER LEGACY: Lauren Huber continues to climb the IWU career record lists, establishing herself as one of the program's all-time greats. She is the only player in program history with 1500+ points and 800+ rebounds during their IWU career, as is one of just three to post 1200+ points, 600+ rebounds, and 200+ assists joining Kristen Schroff (1415p-726r-328a) and Rebekah Ehresman (1236p-604r-376a).
    Huber broke the program's career scoring record at Augie, Feb. 22. The mark of 1632 career points by Traci Butler had stood since 1996. Huber has amassed 1680 points as of March 5.
    Additionally, Huber is 32 rebounds away from tying the school record held by Elaine Hill (901). She currently ranks third all-time with 869 career boards, trailing Hill and Christina Solari (884).

ALL-CCIW HIGH FIVE: Illinois Wesleyan made conference history Monday, Feb. 24, as the Titans saw five student-athletes reel in All-CCIW accolades. Lauren Huber, a unanimous selection, was joined by Ava Bardic and Mallory Powers on the All-CCIW First Team. Kate Palmer and Sawyer White snagged Second Team All-CCIW status. It marked the first time since the league started awarding All-CCIW honors in 1986-87 that one institution garnered five selections.
    Huber became the first Titan in program history to earn first team honors four times in a career. Powers repeated as a First Team All-CCIW pick, while Bardic bumped up from a second team selection a season ago. Palmer reeled in Second Team All-CCIW status for the second consecutive year, while White hauled in the first all-conference selection of her basketball career. White had previously been named Second Team All-CCIW in soccer twice.

THAT'S OUR COACH: Included in the CCIW postseason honors, IWU head coach Mia Smith was voted the CCIW Coach of the Year. It is the seventh time in her career she has reeled in the honor and the first since 2018. Smith guided the Titans to their third CCIW Regular Season Championship in the past four years and mentored a league-record five all-conference performers.

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 17th on the program's all-time scoring list (1173 points), trailing Christina Solari 16th-ranked point total of 1187.
    Senior Mallory Powers is approaching 1000-point membership, sitting just points out of the club. The Amboy, Ill. native is tied 27th with Stacey Arlis on the program's all-time scoring list with 997 career points.

FEAR THE SECOND TEN LIVES ON: Illinois Wesleyan has commonly used the second quarter to distance itself from opponents. Through 27 games this year, IWU has outscored opponents 544-365, a difference of 179 points. The Titans have lost the quarter just twice over 27 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 756-507 overall record. IWU's .599 all-time win percentage includes a 362-204 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin mark.

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 271 of 355 of its home games, good for a .763 win percentage.
    This season, IWU is 12-0 inside the friendly confines of the Shirk Center.

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 253 as of March 5 and ranks second-most all-time. Rebekah Ehresman holds the record with 296 accrued during her career from 2014 to 2018, while Sydney Shanks is third 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 20th across Division III with 3.22 thefts per game, while her 87 steals are 19th-most.

EXPERIENCE PAYING DIVIDENDS: Through 27 games, Illinois Wesleyan has shown immense poise by way of ball security. The Titans have dished out 429 assists to 397 turnovers, good for a 1.08 assist-to-turnover ratio. IWU's mark is ranked 36th nationally, while its 14.7 turnovers per game are slotted 77th-best and its 15.9 assists per game are 44th across Division III. The Titans rank 17th nationally with a +7.33 turnover margin.

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 523-208.  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 11 CCIW Championships and made 14 NCAA Tournament appearances. The Titans won the 2012 NCAA Division III Championship following a fourth-place finish in 2011.

WE AIN'T SHARING NOTHING: With a win at North Central, Feb. 19, IWU locked up its first outright CCIW Regular Season Championship since 2018 and its 11th regular season title overall. The Titans went on to win the CCIW Tournament Championship for the first time since 2022 with wins over sixth-seeded Millikin and No. 2 seed Carroll, Feb. 28-March 1. It is the first time since 2018 that the Titans have swept the CCIW's regular season and tournament titles.

ON THE HORIZON: The winner of Saturday's game between IWU and Centre will meet the winner of the Trine-Transy contest in the Regional Championship Saturday, March 8. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
    If Illinois Wesleyan was to advance it could face Transy for the first time in program history or battle Trine with eyes on the Titans' first win over the Thunder all-time. Trine leads the series, 2-0. A matchup with Transylvania would set IWU up to face former graduate assistant coach Delaney Williams, who is now an assistant on the Pioneers staff.