Women’s basketball teams in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) continued non-conference and league play in mid-December, with several programs highlighting strong performances before the holiday break.
Illinois Wesleyan and Carroll maintained their presence in national rankings. According to D3hoops.com, the Titans stayed at No. 13 and Carroll held the No. 14 spot as of Monday. In the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) poll released Tuesday, Illinois Wesleyan moved up to No. 15 while Carroll advanced to No. 21.
North Central’s Biz Daly was named CCIW Student-Athlete of the Week after leading her team with 22 points during a conference win over North Park last Saturday. She contributed all her points in the paint, added five rebounds, two blocks, three assists, and shot 6-for-8 from the free-throw line.
Carroll has not played since December 6 but remains atop league statistics with a balanced approach. The Pioneers are first in field-goal percentage (.464) and assists per game (18.1), second in scoring margin (+12.7), and hold a national rank for assist-to-turnover ratio (1.18). Senior Natalie Gricius leads CCIW scorers with an average of 22.5 points per game.
Illinois Wesleyan is currently leading CCIW play with a 3-0 record after defeating Elmhurst last weekend but fell on Tuesday against Chicago, ending a five-game winning streak. The Titans lead the league in free-throw percentage (.765), steals per game (13.1), and turnover margin (+5.60). Ava Bardic led scoring efforts in both games.
Elmhurst responded to its loss against Illinois Wesleyan by defeating Adrian at home Wednesday, emphasizing rebounding and ball security; they rank third in turnover margin within the conference.
North Central improved to a 7-3 overall record following wins over North Park and Illinois College last week while leading CCIW teams in scoring offense at 74 points per game.
Wheaton achieved its first conference victory by defeating Carthage on Saturday, relying on effective free-throw shooting and holding a slight rebounding advantage throughout most of the contest.
Carthage showcased strong perimeter shooting during its recent split games, including making thirteen three-pointers against St. Norbert for a non-conference win.
Augustana demonstrated dominance on rebounds during its decisive win over Millikin but struggled at the free-throw line against Coe earlier this week.
Millikin prepares for upcoming neutral-site competition after falling to Augustana last Saturday; freshman Kyleigh Heimsness contributed six points off two made three-pointers during that matchup.
North Park earned two neutral-site victories in Hawaii following their conference defeat to North Central; junior Caroline Long led performances across both locations and tops CCIW players in free-throw percentage at .833.
