The Titans' only starting senior and one of just two seniors on the roster, center Christina Solari has had an illustrious career at IWU.
After a successful 2007-08 season that saw the Titans go 26-3 but lose to Wisconsin-Whitewater 87-63 in the second round of the tournament, it was speculated that the team needed a force down low to enable them to get over the proverbial hump. That force would turn out to be Christina Solari.
While she started 21 games in 2007-08 and came on strong as the season concluded, it was last season that she really began to shine. She quickly gave fans a reason to be excited about the team's newfound post presence as she scored in double figures in each of the season's first 13 games, and had seven double-doubles in that span. Solari exhibited incredible consistency, failing to score in double figures just twice the entire season. She averaged a double-double with 14.2 points and 10.1 rebounds over the course of the 31-game season.
Solari has started all 24 games this season as well, and despite playing in just three games her freshman year, she ranks near the top of several career categories:
Rank------Statistic-------Total
1---------------FG %-----------.603
2------------Rebounds--------826
6-------------Assists-----------307
11-------------Points----------1,088
This season, Solari has led the team in points six times and led the team in rebounds 19 times out of 23 games. She has become almost impossible for opponents to shut down, and when opposing coaches have opted to double-team her, she's found a way to dish it to her teammates--she's racked up 101 assists already this year after totaling 112 all of last year.
Christina Solari has been perhaps the biggest reason that the IWU women's basketball team has gone 52-2 over the last two seasons and advanced to their first-ever Elite Eight last year. Her career is not quite over yet, but there is no doubt that she is one of the best players in the team's 29-year history.
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