Women travel to Bloomington, Ill., to face Illinois Wesleyan
This Friday the women's basketball team will travel to Bloomington, Ill., to face Illinois Wesleyan in the opening round of the NCAA Division III tournament.
Sign-ups for students to travel via a fan bus to the game are on-going, but will end Thursday at 5 p.m. The sign-ups are limited to the first 50 people. Dinner will be provided, but students must pay their own admittance to the game.
This is a great opportunity to cheer on the Grizzlies. The Titans of Illinois Wesleyan are 26-1, and earned an at-large bid. Franklin comes in at 21-6. According to d3hoops.com, Illinois Wesleyan is the best team in the Central Region, which includes Franklin.
The Grizzlies and Titans share two common opponents: North Central College and Elmhurst. Franklin beat North Central 73-61 on Dec. 5, 2009, while Illinois Wesleyan beat them twice: 86-52 at home and 77-63 on the road. Elmhurst got the better of Franklin, winning 85-57. Illinois Wesleyan beat Elmhurst twice: 82-72 at home and 73-60 on the road.
The Titans scored an average of a whopping 80.3 points per game, giving up just 58.4 points per game. Franklin, on the other hand, averaged 68.6 points per game, while defensively allowing 61.7 points per game.
The statistics seem to sway the decision in Illinois Wesleyan's favor, but all it takes is a good crowd to sway the momentum of a game. If you're bored this weekend, take a trip to Bloomington, Ill., to cheer on the women's basketball team!
