NAPERVILLE — The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) women’s basketball season continued to take shape during the past week, with the league race narrowing at the top and several programs positioning themselves in the middle of the standings. 
 
Ranked matchups, notable individual performances and key conference results highlighted another busy stretch of January play as teams moved deeper into the conference schedule.
 
Titans and Pioneers: A Duel for the Crown
As the season moves through the middle portion of the league schedule, separation has begun to form at the top of the standings. No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan remains the lone unbeaten team in conference play at 8-0, while No. 20 Carroll sits one game back at 7-1.
 
IWU climbed to No. 13 in the latest D3hoops.com Top 25 following a 2-0 week that featured both a comeback win and a decisive road victory. Carroll held steady at No. 20 nationally, posting a pair of conference wins to remain within reach of first place as the schedule tightens.
 
The Previous Week: Comebacks, Career Highs and Conference Clashes
Conference play last Saturday and Wednesday produced several tightly contested games and individual milestones. On Saturday, Illinois Wesleyan overcame a 13-point deficit at Wheaton, closing the game on a 13-4 run to secure a 77-71 victory. Seniors Ava Bardic and Sawyer White led the Titans with 26 and 25 points, respectively. Illinois Wesleyan followed with a 74-52 win over Carthage on Wednesday to complete the season sweep, highlighted by a career-high 19 points and nine rebounds from Leah Palmer.
 
Carroll also faced a challenge on Saturday, earning a 75-71 road win at Augustana. After opening the game on a 9-0 run, the Pioneers saw the Vikings respond to tie the game at halftime, but Carroll’s efficiency, including 16-of-17 shooting from the free-throw line, proved decisive. Emilie Wizner scored 23 points in the win. Carroll returned home on Wednesday and defeated North Park 79-63, led by Natalie Gricius’s 21 points and a double-double from Ryann Wendt.
 
Elsewhere, Elmhurst recorded a 95-67 win over North Park last Saturday, scoring 74 points in the paint. Millikin snapped a four-game losing streak the same day with a 77-67 victory over Carthage on Alumni Day, as Nikkel Johnson posted 28 points and 11 rebounds. 
 
On Wednesday, North Central defeated Millikin 80-69 behind a career-high-tying 24 points from Kennedy Hartwig, while forcing 23 Big Blue turnovers. Augustana also picked up a win on Wednesday, using a strong second half to defeat Wheaton 58-46, led by Cali Papez’s 19 points.
 
Bukata’s Buffet: Feeding the Bluejays and the Record Books
Elmhurst junior guard Kristin Bukata continued to anchor the league’s top individual statistical storyline. Bukata was named the CCIW Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday after averaging 26.5 points and 10.5 assists over two games. In Elmhurst’s win last Saturday over North Park, she tied the program’s single-game record with 12 assists while committing no turnovers.
 
Bukata currently leads NCAA Division III in total assists (133) and assists per game (8.3). Her playmaking has helped Elmhurst move into a tie for third place in the conference standings at 5-3 alongside North Central. She also ranks fifth nationally in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.96).
 
Statistically Speaking: CCIW Stars Shine on the National Stage
Several CCIW players continue to appear prominently in the national statistics. Carroll’s Natalie Gricius ranks sixth nationally in scoring average (21.5 points per game) and third in total field goals made (131). She has recorded 11 games of 20 or more points and two 30-point performances this season.
 
Defensively, Illinois Wesleyan’s Sawyer White ranks 12th nationally in total steals (60) and 15th in steals per game (3.75). The Titans lead the conference in turnover margin (+7.0). 
 
On the boards, Elmhurst’s Anna Kleszynski leads the league at 8.9 rebounds per game. As a team, Carroll ranks fourth nationally in field goal percentage (45.7%), trailing only three Division III programs.
 
The Road Ahead: A Ranked Showdown in Waukesha
Attention now shifts to this Saturday when No. 13 Illinois Wesleyan travels to No. 20 Carroll for a ranked conference matchup at Van Male Fieldhouse at 2 p.m. The result will have direct implications for the conference race. Other games on Saturday include North Central at Elmhurst and Augustana at Carthage, as teams continue to jockey for position ahead of the CCIW Championship in February.
 
The middle of the CCIW standings remains closely contested. North Central and Elmhurst are tied for third at 5-3, with Augustana just behind at 4-4.