Ball State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Travels to California after Christmas
December 21, 2005 | Women's Basketball
RADIO COVERAGE: Neither of Ball State's game in California will be covered by WCRD FM 91.3 nor Muncie's WXFN 1340 AM . . . The next broadcast will be Jan. 7 at Toledo, which will be carried by WCRD, BSU's student-run station.
BALL STATE PROBABLE STARTERS:
1 Tina Bolte G 5-7 Jr./Jr. 10.2 ppg 2.7 rpg 1.2 apg 28.3 mpg
11 Kelsey Corbin G 5-9 Jr./Jr. 7.1 ppg 4.4 rpg 4.3 apg 25.8 mpg
13 Raechelle Hampton C 6-2 Sr./Sr. 10.0 ppg 4.9 rpg 1.3 spg 26.8 mpg
23 Erica Cotton G 5-8 Sr./Jr. 2.8 ppg 2.0 rpg 2.0 apg 18.8 mpg
14 Julie DeMuth G 5-10 So./So. 11.4 ppg 8.9 rpg 1.7 spg 23.8 mpg
OFF THE BENCH:
2 Stephanie Douglas G 5-9 Jr./Jr. 3.7 ppg 2.1 rpg 0.4 apg 8.4 mpg
3 Porchia Green G 5-8 Fr./Fr. 7.0 ppg 3.0 rpg 2.3 spg 18.7 mpg
12 Kiley Jarrett G 5-4 Fr./Fr. 3.9 ppg 2.0 rpg 4.0 apg 20.6 mpg
25 Dana Moorman F 6-0 Fr./Fr. 0.5 ppg 0.7 rpg 0.0 apg 4.7 mpg
35 Krista Stewart C 6-1 Sr./Jr. 11.4 ppg 3.4 rpg 1.4 spg 21.4 mpg
42 Lisa Rusche F 6-1 So./So. 2.8 ppg 2.6 rpg 0.4 bpg 10.6 mpg
44 Brandy Ross F 6-1 So./So. 1.6 ppg 1.5 rpg 0.3 apg 9.6 mpg
52 Becca Bajorek C 6-2 Jr./Jr. 0.0 ppg 0.0 rpg 0.0 bpg 0.0 mpg
SCOUTING BALL STATE: Ball State is 6-3 after dropping its second-straight decision -- 110-24 at #2/2 Duke Dec. 19 . . . The Cardinals jumped out to a school-record 5-0 mark to start the campaign . . . Their 6-1 record at one juncture was matched by only one other team -- the 1975-76 squad -- in the 32-year history of women's basketball at Ball State . . . Four players are averaging double-figure scoring totals for BSU, led by the 11.4 averages of Julie DeMuth and Krista Stewart . . . Tina Bolte is third at 10.2 points per game, while Raechelle Hampton is fourth with her 10.0 average . . . DeMuth tops the team with 8.9 rebounds and is first with 15 steals . . . Kelsey Corbin is dishing off a BSU-high 4.3 assists per game . . . BSU averages 66.7 points and 39.3 rebounds, while yielding 69.2 points and 39.4 rebounds to its opponents.
INJURY UPDATE: Junior center Becca Bajorek is out indefinitely due to a hip injury . . . She has not played this season . . . Freshman guard Porchia Green made her first appearance since Nov. 22 at Duke . . . She averaged 10.5 points per game before her injury and played in just three minutes against the Blue Devils . . . Junior guard Kelsey Corbin went down and left the game with a shoulder/back injury midway through the first half at Duke . . . Her status is day to day.
SCOUTING SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE: Saint Mary's College improved to 4-7 with a 75-69 victory over UC Davis Dec. 20 . . . The Gaels, who have won two of their last three, also own decisions over Princeton, Butler and Bradley . . . Jontelle Smith owns a team-leading 13.8 scoring average . . . Monica Mertle is also averaging double digits with 10 points per game . . . Sheridan Arredondo tops the team with 4.9 rebounds per game . . . SMC averages 61.1 points and 37 rebounds, while giving up 64.5 points and 40.7 rebounds to its opponents.
BALL STATE VS. SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE: This marks the first meeting between Ball State and Saint Mary's College.
SCOUTING SANTA CLARA: Santa Clara takes a 4-6 record into the Christmas break . . . The Broncos, who play Cal State Northridge Dec. 28, own wins over Central Florida, UC Irvine, Eastern Washington and San Jose State . . . SC's losses have come at the hands of Georgia, Alabama, Portland State, Hawaii and Montana . . . Michelle Cozad tops the team with an 18.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game . . . Ashley Gonnerman is second in scoring with her 11.1 average, while Chandice Cronk checks in at third with 10 points per game . . . Santa Clara averages 80.6 points and 38 rebounds per game, while giving up 76.5 points and 41.9 rebounds to its opponents.
BALL STATE VS. SAINT MARY'S COLLEGE: This marks the first meeting between Ball State and Santa Clara.
HOLIDAY BREAK: After its Dec. 19 game at Duke, Ball State will take a 10-day hiatus from competition . . . The Cardinals resume their schedule Dec. 29 at Saint Mary's College in California . . . BSU is at Santa Clara Dec. 31.
ROAD WARRIORS Ball State opened its 2005-06 season on the road, but then returned home to Muncie to enjoy the friendly confines of Worthen Arena for the next five games . . . The Cardinals are now in the midst of seven-straight road games -- at Butler, Wright State, Duke, Saint Mary's College, Santa Clara, Toledo and Western Michigan . . . BSU was 6-1 after its first seven games, including a school record 5-0 to start the campaign.
BSU CAPTAINS: Juniors Tina Bolte and Kelsey Corbin plus sophomore Julie DeMuth are tri-captains of the 2005-06 squad . . . Corbin is in her second season as a captain for the Cardinals . . . All three players were regular starters on last season's team, which posted a 16-13 overall mark and an 11-5 MAC slate.
BALANCED BALL STATE: Ball State has had at least three players score in double figures in six games thus far . . . Four players reached double digits against Butler Dec. 9 and versus Evansville Nov. 22 . . . Five hit the plateau against North Dakota State Nov. 27 -- Krista Stewart, Kiley Jarrett, Julie DeMuth, Kelsey Corbin and Raechelle Hampton . . . All 11 players who dressed against Lipscomb scored at least three points.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Sophomore Julie DeMuth is leading Ball State for the second-straight year in rebounding . . . She is averaging 8.9 per game and has led BSU in rebounding six times this season . . . She posted back-to-back double-doubles -- giving her three-straight this season and a total of six in her career -- with 14 points and 10 boards against Valparaiso Dec. 4 after 19 points and 14 rebounds versus Illinois State Nov. 30 . . . She had 11 points and 13 rebounds vs. North Dakota State Nov. 27 . . . DeMuth has 11 double-digit rebounding marks in her career and has led BSU in that category a total of 16 times . . . She also boasts 12 double-figure scoring efforts in her career.
PETITE DISH: Freshman Kiley Jarrett accumulated the second double-digit assist mark of her career with 10 at Wright State Dec. 17 . . . BSU's shortest player at 5-foot-4, Jarrett dished off a team season-high 11 versus Evansville Nov. 22 . . . She is currently second on the team and seventh in the MAC with 4.0 assists per game.
MAC STATS: Ball State currently tops the Mid-American Conference in assists, assist/turnover ration and offensive rebounds . . . The Cardinals rank in the top four in five more categories, including second in field goal percentage, third in scoring offense, plus fourth in scoring margin, turnover margin and steals . . . Individually, Julie DeMuth is first in the Mid-Am in offensive rebounds plus second with her 8.9 rebounding average . . . DeMuth is also sixth in defensive rebounds, 11th in steals plus 13th in scoring and in field goal percentage . . . Krista Stewart is 16th in scoring, eighth in field goal percentage, 10th in 3-point field goals made and 13th in blocked shots . . . Tina Bolte is tied, along with Raechelle Hampton, for 22nd in scoring . . . Bolte is also fifth in 3-point field goals made and seventh in 3-point field goal percentage . . . Hampton is third in offensive rebounding and field goal percentage . . . Kelsey Corbin and Kiley Jarrett place No. 5 and No. 7, respectively, in assists . . . Jarrett and Corbin are sixth and 11th, respectively, in assist/turnover ratio.
RECORD START: Ball State's 6-1 start to the 2005-06 season has been bettered by just one other team in the 32-year history of women's basketball at the university . . . The 1975-76 squad began its campaign with a 7-1 record, before eventually finishing with a 13-6 mark . . . Ball State's 5-0 start to this season is the best in school history . . . The five wins surpassed the 4-0 start of Brenda (Oldfield) Frese's 1999-2000 team . . . Four of the wins came in the friendly confines of Worthen Arena.
WONDERFUL WORTHEN: Ball State is 47-16 in home games over the last six campaigns for a .746 rate of success . . . BSU, which is 4-1 in home contests this season, finished with an 8-5 mark in home games in 2004-05 after a 6-5 slate during the 2003-04 season . . . BSU posted a 7-2 record at Worthen Arena in 2002-03, dropping two games by a combined total of nine points -- 68-64 to Eastern Michigan March 2 and 78-73 to Toledo Feb. 11 . . . With its first-round WNIT victory over Louisville March 13, 2002, Ball State finished with a program record 13-1 mark at Worthen Arena in 2001-02 . . . The previous best home record was the 2000-01 team's 9-2 ledger.
SCHEDULE CHANGE: Ball State's Jan. 14 game at home versus Central Michigan has been moved to a 7 p.m. starting time to accommodate television . . . The game will be broadcast by the Ball State Sports Network as part of a two-game package.
TV SCHEDULE SET: Ball State is scheduled to have two games aired by the Ball State Sports Network -- Jan. 14 vs. Central Michigan and Feb. 15 against Toledo . . . In addition, the Cardinals will appear on FSN Ohio Jan. 31 at Ohio and on Comcast Local Feb. 28 versus Northern Illinois.
FORMIDABLE FOE: When Ball State traveled to Duke Dec. 19, it faced a squad that was picked No. 1 in The Associated Press Preseason Poll and No. 2 in the USA Today/ESPN Top 25 Preseason Poll . . . Duke, which currently ranks second in both polls, finished last season with a 31-5 overall record and ranked 7/8, respectively, in the final polls . . . When the Blue Devils visited Muncie Dec. 20, 2004, they were the No. 3 ranked team in the nation.
DEMUTH GARNERS MAC AWARD: Julie DeMuth was honored for the first time in her career with her selection as Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week Dec. 5 . . . She gained the award after averaging 16.5 points and 12 rebounds over a two-game span . . . DeMuth notched her second and third-straight double-doubles of the season -- the fifth and sixth of her career -- with 19 points and 14 rebounds in a win over Illinois State Nov. 30 and then 14 points and 10 boards in a loss versus Valparaiso Dec. 4.
BSU CAPTURES CLASSIC: The Cardinals captured the championship of the first-ever Ball State Credit Union Classic Nov. 26-27 . . . BSU trounced Lipscomb 83-53 in the semifinals and then defeated North Dakota State 65-54 to win the title . . . The Cardinals averaged 74 points, 43 rebounds and 13 steals a game, while holding their opponents to 53.5 points, 35 rebounds and a cool .352 (38-of-108) field goal percentage . . . BSU also forced its two opponents into 47 turnovers . . . Julie DeMuth was selected as the classic's Most Valuable Player, while Krista Stewart and Kelsey Corbin were named to the all-tournament team . . . With its championship in the Classic, the Cardinals have captured non-conference tournament titles in each of the past four seasons -- all under head coach Tracy Roller and are 11-5 record in non-conference tournament competition.
HOME GROWN: Ball State's 2005-06 roster boasts five players from the state of Indiana -- juniors Tina Bolte (Columbus) and Kelsey Corbin (Fort Wayne), sophomore Julie DeMuth (Merrillville) and freshmen Porchia Green (Indianapolis) and Kiley Jarrett (Bloomington) . . . Bolte, Corbin and DeMuth were all fulltime starters last season.
THROUGH MICHIGAN AND OHIO: If not from Indiana, you should look at Detroit, Mich., to find the homes of four more Cardinals -- Erica Cotton, Stephanie Douglas, Raechelle Hampton and Brandy Ross . . . Three more hail from the state of Ohio -- Becca Bajorek (Columbus), Lisa Rusche (Cincinnati) and Dana Moorman (Dayton).
LAST SEASON: Ball State concluded the 2004-05 campaign with a 16-13 overall record and an 11-5 Mid-American Conference mark . . . The Cardinals tied for second place in the West Division and earned the No. 5 seed in the MAC Tournament . . . The fifth-seeded Cardinals hosted 12th-seeded Akron in the first round and posted a 77-52 victory . . . In quarterfinal action at Gund Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, BSU's season was ended with a 72-64 loss at the hands of fourth-seeded Eastern Michigan.
IT'S ACADEMIC: The spring 2005 grading period marked the fourth-straight semester the Ball State women's basketball team has combined for a better than 3.00 grade-point average . . . The 11-member squad tallied a 3.10 GPA for the 2005 spring semester, a 3.02 for the 2004 fall semester, a 3.18 GPA for the 2004 spring semester and a 3.30 GPA for the 2003 fall semester . . . The 2004-05 team boasted an overall cumulative GPA of 3.17 with eight members netting 3.0 or higher marks . . . Kate Endress topped the team with a 3.96 GPA after posting a perfect 4.0 mark her final two semesters . . . Kelsey Corbin was second with a 3.67, followed by Tina Bolte at 3.37, Becca Bajorek at 3.36, Julie DeMuth at 3.30, Lisa Rusche at 3.20, Brandy Ross at 3.16 and Raechelle Hampton at 3.10.
THREE SIGN EARLY: Head coach Tracy Roller inked three players during the early signing period -- Indiana guards Kyleigh Jones (Elwood, Ind./Elwood H.S.) and Audrey McDonald (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo H.S.) plus post player Kalynne Proctor (Shaker Heights, Ohio/Regina H.S.) . . . Jones and McDonald are both Super Senior 25 preseason picks by Regional Roundball.
