DECATUR, Ill. – The battle for the regular season College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) championship takes centerstage on Wednesday, January 24, at 7:00 p.m. when the No. 17-ranked Millikin University Women’s Basketball team tips off with No. 11-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University at the Griswold Center.
All fans wearing blue will receive free admission to the game.
The Big Blue (15-3, 7-2 CCIW) are on a five-game winning streak after defeating Elmhurst University, 93-80, on the road Saturday. The team also recently handed Wesleyan its first CCIW season loss, 93-91, on January 17 in Bloomington. The Titans currently hold a one-game lead in the CCIW standings.
The Big Blue battled the entire game against the Titans, trailing by as many as 11 points in the fourth quarter. Millikin trailed by seven with 3:52 remaining before going on an 11-2 run to close out the game with a game-winning shot by Sophie Darden with 4.6 seconds remaining.
This season, Jostens Trophy Winner Elyce Knudsen leads the Big Blue with an average of 26.0 points per game, including a season-high 41 against Fontbonne in November. Bailey Coffman has averaged 16.2 points and 6.6 points per game. Darden leads the team in rebounding at 8.4 per game, along with 13.9 points per contest.
Knudsen is closing in on two major milestones, and with a standout game against Wesleyan, she could break both of them on Wednesday. Knudsen currently has 1,979 points and needs 21 points to reach 2,000. With 39 more points, Knudsen will break the school record for career points at 2,017 points.
Following Wednesday’s game, the Big Blue will play at home again on Saturday, January 27, hosting Carroll University at 2 p.m. Millikin looks to avenge a loss at Carroll in December, and both teams are currently second in the CCIW with a 7-2 conference mark.
