Ball State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Takes Part In SPC Holiday Classic
December 28, 2006 | Women's Basketball
What's On Tap . . .
The Cardinals conclude their seven-game road swing in the month of December this weekend with an appearance in the St. Peter's Aeropostale Holiday Classic.
Ball State will face off against host St. Peter's on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. The game will be played at the John J. Moore Center on the campus of New Jersey City University due to the funeral of SPC's president, Father James N. Loughran.
The Cardinals will face off against either Tulsa or Charlotte on Saturday evening at the Yanitelli Center on the campus of St. Peter's. The championship game is set for 7:30 p.m. while the consolation game is set for 5:30 p.m.
Series History . . .
The Cardinals have only faced the three participants in the Holiday Classic a total of one time heading into the weekend. Friday's meeting with St. Peter's will mark the first matchup all-time with the Peahens and the first meeting between BSU and a team from the Metro-Atlantic Athletic Conference.
The Cardinals have never faced Charlotte in program history and are 1-0 all-time against Tulsa. Ball State picked up a 90-58 victory over the Golden Hurricane in the 1986-87 season at the Nebraska Invitational.
Midseason Tournaments . . .
This weekend's tournament marks the 11th straight season that Ball State has participated in a multi-day midseason tournament and the 22nd time in the last 23 seasons. The Cardinals have posted recent success in multi-day tournaments as BSU has claimed a tournament championship in five straight seasons, including a championship in the BSU Credit Union Thanksgiving Tournament.
Tournament Championships
2006-07
BSU Credit Union Thanksgiving
2005-06
BSU Credit Union Thanksgiving
2004-05
Seton Hall Tournament
2003-04
East Carolina Invitational
2002-03
Lehigh Tournament
1999-2000
Minnesota Regal Classic
C. of Charleston Thanksgiving
1997-98
Beach Blast Tourney
1990-91
Cardinal Roundball Fest
Last Time Out . . .
The Cardinals used a strong second half effort as they knocked off regional foe Xavier, 69-63. Four different players scored in double figures in the victory.
The Cardinals connected on 15-of-26 (57.7%) from the field in the second half, including five-of-nine (55.6%) from three-point land to spur the victory. Senior guard Kelsey Corbin turned in a stellar performance as she scored a team-high 18 points, including 15 in the second half. She finished the night seven-of-13 from the field with six of her field goals coming in the second frame.
Freshman Audrey McDonald found her range from downtown as she scored a career-best 15 points. She connected on five-of-six from three-point land as three of her long range shots either tied the game or gave the Cardinals the lead.
The Cardinals finished the night with 10 three-pointers as they shot 47.6 percent from long-range. The 10 three-pointers are tied for the most in a game for BSU so far this season matching the effort turned in against Howard.
Ball State also controlled the boards in the victory as it out-rebounded Xavier, 42-32. The Cardinals held the Musketeers to just seven offensive rebounds and seven total rebounds short of their season average.
Julie DeMuth finished the night with her third double-double of the season and 16th of her career as she scored 10 points and grabbed 10 rebounds. Lisa Rusche added 11 points while Tina Bolte recorded six points in the victory. Porchia Green continued her stellar all-around play as she finished with 10 rebounds, six points, six assists and three steals.
Spreading It Around . . .
The Cardinals enter the tournament with all five starters averaging double figures in scoring on the season. The Cardinals are the only team in the Mid-American Conference to accomplish this feat. No team in the MAC even has four players averaging double figures while six teams have three players averaging double figures (Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo and Western Michigan).
Scouting the Cardinals . . .
Ball State enters the weekend with a 7-2 record overall, including a 3-2 mark on the road. The Cardinals are averaging 73.8 points per game while holding opponents to just 63.4 points per game. BSU is shooting 45.1 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point land.
The Cardinals have all five starters averaging in double figures this season. Junior Julie DeMuth leads the way with 14.4 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Classmate Lisa Rusche adds 12 points and 6.6 rebounds per contest.
Senior Kelsey Corbin is third on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game while freshman Audrey McDonald is fourth at 10.6 points per game. Sophomore Porchia Green rounds out the double figure scorers as she chips in 10.2 points per game. She is tied for second in rebounding at 6.6 boards per game while she leads the team with 39 assists and 28 steals.
Scouting the Peahens . . .
St. Peter's enters the tournament with a 5-4 record on the year as it is coming off back-to-back losses to Siena and Sacred Heart. The Peahens are averaging 64.2 points per game while allowing 63.4 points per contest.
St. Peter's has four different players averaging double figures this season with Tania Kennedy pacing the team at 12.7 points per game. Johnell Burts is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 while leading in rebounding at 6.6 boards per game.
Rusche's Romp . . .
Junior forward Lisa Rusche turned in a stellar performance last weekend at the Hoosier Classic against Butler as she scored a career-high 36 points. Rusche's 36 points are the fourth most points scored all-time by a Cardinal in a game and the most since Tamara Bowie notched a program-best 40 points in 2002.
Rusche, whose previous career-high was 13 points, surpassed her old career-high just 12 minutes into the game on her way to 19 first half points. She connected on 15-of-23 from the field in the BSU victory and was six-of-eight from the charity stripe. She also grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds for her second career double-double. She also dished out two assists, registered a block and a steal in just 30 minutes of action.
Career Nights . . .
So far this season, Ball State has posted some strong individual performances. The Cardinals have had five different players turn in a career-high scoring performance so far this season. Freshman Audrey McDonald posted a new high on Friday as she scored 15 points against Xavier.
Junior forward Lisa Rusche leads the way with her 36-point effort against Butler while classmate Julie DeMuth added 28-points at Illinois State.
Sophomore guard Porchia Green turned in a career-high 21 points against Valparaiso. Freshman Kalynne Proctor each opened their collegiate careers in prime style with 10 points.
Cleaning the Glass . . .
The Cardinals enter tonight's game with a 6-0 record on the season when they out-rebound their opponent. Ball State though, is 10th in the Mid-American Conference in rebounding offense at 36.6 boards per game. The Cardinals have controlled the boards by on the other end as they lead the MAC in rebounding defense as they allow just 32.7 boards per game. BSU is second in the
Fast Starts . . .
The Cardinals are 7-2 after nine games this season matching the best start in Ball State history with three other teams. The Cardinals were also 7-2 in the 1974-75, 1975-76 and 2001-02 season.
Cardinals In NCAA Stats . . .
Ball State's name is littered throughout the NCAA statistical rankings in the early part o f the season as the Cardinals are in the top 45 in nine different team categories at the beginning of the week. Ball State is 18th in the nation in field goal percentage (47.5); 23rd in scoring offense (77.0); 24th in three-point percentage (38.7); 26th in assists per game (17.1); 27th in three-point field goals per game (6.6); 35 in free throw percentage (74.7); 36th in won/loss percentage (.857) 38 in scoring margin (+14.0); and 45 in steals per game (11.4).
Individually speaking, sophomore Porchia Green is 17th in the nation in three-point field goal percentage (48.3) while freshman Audrey McDonald is 30th (45.7). Green is also 28th in the nation in steals per game at 3.3 and McDonald is 69th in three-pointers made per game at 2.3. Junior Julie DeMuth is 67th in the nation in free throw percentage (85.7) and 79th in rebounding (8.9).
RPI Watching . . .
The Cardinals, off to a 7-2 start, is making some noise this year in the early RPI rankings. Ball State enters the weekend ranked as high as 52nd in the RPI by RealtimeRPI.com BSU is also listed 60th by the Sagarin Report and 77th by CollegeRPI.com. The first NCAA RPI release is not sent out until February of each season.
Double-Trouble . . .
Junior Julie DeMuth led the Mid-American Conference in double-doubles last season as she posted 10 double dips as a sophomore. DeMuth posted her first double-double of the 2006-07 season against Wright State as she scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. She recorded her second double dip of the season against Illinois State as she scored 28 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds. She added her third of the season against Xavier with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
She moved into sole possession of third place all-time in career double-doubles at Ball State earlier this month as she surpassed former BSU standout Kate Endress.
Below is a list of the all-time double-doubles in BSU history:
Emma Jones - 49
Tamara Bowie - 31
Julie DeMuth - 156
Kate Endress - 14
Countdown to 100 . . .
Head coach Tracy Roller is in her sixth season as the helm of the Cardinals and brings a 98-61 record into this weekend. She is already the all-time winningest coach in BSU women's basketball history. She needs just two wins to become just the third basketball coach as Ball State, men's or women's, to reach 100 career victories with the Cardinals.
Roller moved into third place all-time in career victories in Ball State basketball history on Friday as she surpassed Dick Hunsaker with 98 victories.
Jim Hinga (1954-68)
154-169
Ray McCallum (1993-2000)
126-76
Tracy Roller (2001-present)
98-61
Dick Hunsaker (1989-93)
97-34
Tim Buckley (2000-06)
93-87
Owning the Glass . . .
Junior guard Julie DeMuth leads the Cardinals and is third in the Mid-American Conference in rebounding this season at 8.9 rebounds per game.
She led the Cardinals and the MAC in rebounding last season with 249 boards. DeMuth became just the fourth Cardinal all-time to lead the MAC in rebounding joining the likes of Jessica Reiter (2004-05), Christy Jones (1999-00) and Karen Bauer (1981-82).
DeMuth's 249 rebounds were the eighth most in a single season at BSU.
She became just the 14th player in Ball State history to reach the 500-career rebound plateau with her 16-board effort against Illinois State. She currently sits in 12th place all-time in career rebounds with 539 career rebounds. She needs just one rebound to move into a tie for 11th all-time in rebounding.
9th - Shelley Silk (618)
10th - Alana Hancock (586)
11th - Glena Rusch (540)
12th - Julie DeMuth (539)
13th - Lisa Hicks (501)
14th - Amy Zercher (500)
It's Trey Day . . .
Senior Tina Bolte led the Cardinals last season with 67 three-pointers made on the year. Her 67 three-pointers were the fifth most in a single season at BSU and she enters tonight's game in sole possession of fourth all-time in career-three-pointers made with 140. She overtook Alana Hancock for fourth place with a three-pointer against Valparaiso. She needs just nine three-pointers to move into the top three long-range shooters all-time at Ball State.
1st - Johna Goff (253)
2nd - Kate Endress (205)
3rd - Markita Griffin (152)
4th - Tina Bolte (143)
5th - Alana Hancock (139)
Lending a Helping Hand . . .
Senior guard Kelsey Corbin is second on the team in assists this season as she has dished out 31 helpers. She became just the seventh player all-time to reach 300 career assists earlier this season. She enters tonight's game sixth all-time in career assists at 320.
3rd - Johna Goff (447)
4th - Stephanie McQuinne (364)
5th - Jane Emkes (346)
6th - Kelsey Corbin (320)
7th - Alana Hancock (302)
8th - Michelle Baker (298)
Non-Conference Success . . .
The Cardinals are 7-2 so far this season in their non-conference schedule after posting an 7-4 mark in non-conference play last season. Ball State has three more non-conference games on the docket this season including tonight's game against Indiana.
The Cardinals posted their best non-conference record of 8-3 on two different occasions (2001-02 & 2000-01)
8-3 - 2001-02 & 2000-01
7-3 - 1989-90
8-4 - 2002-3
7-4 - 2005-06 & 1999-2000
History in the Making . . .
One game into the season and the Cardinals have already made some history. For the first time in program history, BSU had two true freshmen score in double figures in their collegiate debuts when Audrey McDonald and Kalynne Proctor recorded the feat against Michigan on Monday night. McDonald scored 14 points while Proctor added 10 points. They are the first set of freshmen to reach double figures in the first career game in the 33-year history of Cardinal women's basketball.
Corbin Honored . . .
Senior guard Kelsey Corbin picked up Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honors on Wednesday afternoon for her efforts against Michigan. The weekly honor is the first of her career for Corbin and she becomes the first Cardinal to win the award since Julie DeMuth took home the accolades last December.
Corbin led all scorers against the Wolverines with 16 points to guide the Cardinals to a four-point victory
Preseason Prognosticators . . .
Ball State was picked to finish third in the Mid-American Conference West Division in the preseason poll conducted by league coaches and members of the MAC News Media Association.
Ball State received 157 total votes including six first place votes in the West Division as four different teams garnered first place tallies. Defending divisional champion Easter Michigan was picked to finish first in the West with 241 total votes and 21 first place votes while Western Michigan was tabbed for second with 188 votes and eight first place picks. Northern Illinois, Toledo and Central Michigan round out the preseason poll for the West Division.
Defending MAC Champion and NCAA Tournament participant Bowling Green was picked to repeat in the East Division with 245 total votes and 40 first place votes. Kent State was tabbed for second while Miami, Ohio, Buffalo and Akron round out the East Division predictions.
Radio Air Time . . .
The Cardinals will again have most of their games broadcast on the student station WCRD 91.3, including both exhibition games. All games broadcast by WCRD will also be streamed online at www.ballstatesports.com. Kyle Trompeter, Karl Mandik and Joel Nickels will do the honors for WCRD.
Ball State will also have 13 regular season games broadcast on Muncie's WXFN 1340 AM this season and two games broadcast on WERK 104.9 FM. Jay Garrison will handle the play-by-play duties this season. The 15 games broadcast on WXFN are:
Nov. 18 - Wright State
Nov. 25 - Howard
Nov. 26 - BSU Credit Union
Dec. 2 at Butler
Dec. 10 vs. Valparaiso *
Dec. 18 at Indiana *
Jan. 3 - Toledo
Jan. 6 - Western Michigan
Jan. 17 - Northern Illinois
Jan. 20 - Miami
Jan. 27 - Ohio
Feb. 11 - Kent State
Feb. 17 at Western Michigan
Feb. 21 - Central Michigan
Feb. 24 - Eastern Michigan
MAC TOURNAMENT
* - WERK 104.9 FM
Tracy Roller Show . . .
Head coach Tracy Roller will once again be on the air this season on WCRD and on www.ballstatesports.com with the Tracy Roller Show. The show will air on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. starting in December and will air live from Johnny Carino's on McGalliard.
Corbin's Corner . . .
Cardinal fans can get an inside look at the BSU women's basketball team this season from Corbin's Corner. Senior guard Kelsey Corbin has been keeping an online journal through the entire preseason and will continue throughout her senior campaign on www.ballstatesports.com. Check out the weekly journal that updates each Friday afternoon.
Looking Ahead . . .
The Cardinals will finally return home to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena for the first time since November. Ball State will hop into Mid-American Conference action on January 3 as it hosts Toledo at 7 p.m.
