Ball State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Begins Michigan Swing Wednesday
February 21, 2006 | Women's Basketball
MATCHUP AT A GLANCE:
Arena (Seating Capacity) Rose Arena (5,200)
Tip-off 7 p.m.
Television none
Webcast WCRD FM 91.3
Series Central Michigan leads 28-23
RADIO COVERAGE: The BSU-Central Michigan contest will be broadcast live by WCRD FM 91.3 . . . BSU's student-run station will carry 26 regular-season games plus all postseason competition . . . Sports director Nathan Rausch is in his second full season as a part of the broadcast team and will handle play-by-play duties this year . . . Joel Nickels will provide color commentary, while Kyle Trompeter will do sideline reporting . . . The WCRD broadcasts can be heard via the internet at the official web site of Ball State athletics: www.ballstatesports.com.
BALL STATE PROBABLE STARTERS:
1 Tina Bolte G 5-7 Jr./Jr. 10.8 ppg 2.3 rpg 1.0 apg 27.8 mpg
3 Porchia Green G 5-8 Fr./Fr. 3.1 ppg 3.1 rpg 1.2 apg 15.4 mpg
11 Kelsey Corbin G 5-9 Jr./Jr. 9.0 ppg 3.7 rpg 4.1 apg 26.9 mpg
52 Becca Bajorek C 6-2 Jr./Jr. 7.7 ppg 4.3 rpg 0.5 bpg 19.4 mpg
13 Raechelle Hampton C 6-2 Sr./Sr. 7.5 ppg 4.6 rpg 0.9 spg 25.0 mpg
OFF THE BENCH:
2 Stephanie Douglas G 5-9 Jr./Jr. 4.9 ppg 1.8 rpg 0.6 spg 12.3 mpg
12 Kiley Jarrett G 5-4 Fr./Fr. 3.8 ppg 1.5 rpg 2.9 apg 18.2 mpg
14 Julie DeMuth G 5-10 So./So. 11.6 ppg 9.3 rpg 2.0 spg 26.9 mpg
23 Erica Cotton G 5-8 Sr./Jr. 7.0 ppg 3.0 rpg 1.9 apg 23.7 mpg
25 Dana Moorman F 6-0 Fr./Fr. 0.3 ppg 0.4 rpg 0.0 apg 4.0 mpg
42 Lisa Rusche F 6-1 So./So. 2.3 ppg 2.7 rpg 0.4 bpg 10.6 mpg
44 Brandy Ross F 6-1 So./So. 1.3 ppg 1.2 rpg 0.2 apg 7.8 mpg
SCOUTING BALL STATE: Ball State improved to 15-9 overall and 8-5 in Mid-American Conference action with its second-straight victory last Saturday . . . The Cardinals are one game behind second-place Western Michigan in the West Division and two ahead of fourth-place Northern Illinois . . . Julie DeMuth tops BSU with 11.6 points, a league-leading 9.3 rebounds and 2.0 steals per game . . . Tina Bolte is second in scoring with her 10.8 average . . . Raechelle Hampton is second with 4.6 rebounds per game . . . Kelsey Corbin is dishing off a team-best 4.1 assists each game plus is third with 9.0 points per outing . . . BSU averages 66.6 points and 38.3 rebounds, while yielding 65.3 points and 38.5 rebounds to its opponents.
SCOUTING CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Central Michigan is 14-10 overall and in fifth place in the MAC's West Division with a 5-8 mark . . . Ann Skufca leads the Chippewas with a 10.7 scoring average . . . Chasidy Myers is second with her 10.6 points per game . . . Sharonda Hurd tops CMU with a 5.9 rebounding average . . . Central Michigan is second in the MAC in scoring defense, allowing just 56.3 points per game . . . The Chippewas are also second in free throw percentage and blocked shots and first in rebounding defense.
BALL STATE VS. CENTRAL MICHIGAN: Ball State and Central Michigan have met 51 times in a series dating back to a 70-66 BSU win Jan. 14, 1978 . . . The Chippewas own a 28-23 edge and accumulated nearly all of their wins prior to the 1995-96 season with only three since . . . The Cardinals have won 16 of the last 18 versus CMU, including the last 11 matchups dating back to the 2000 MAC season . . . The Chippewas boast a 17-7 advantage versus BSU in games played in Mt. Pleasant.
LAST TIME: Ball State hung on for a 57-47 victory over Central Michigan Jan. 14, 2006, in Muncie . . . The Cardinals utilized a .522 (12-of-23) field goal percentage to take a 30-25 lead at halftime and then outscored CMU by five points again in the second half on the way to victory . . . Stephanie Douglas led BSU with 14 points, while Tina Bolte chipped in with 12 . . . Ann Skufca was the lone Chippewa in double figures with her 11 points.
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 16 games thus far . . . Four players reached double digits for the seventh time at Ohio Jan. 31 . . . BSU also accomplished the feat versus Evansville Nov. 22, against Butler Dec. 9, at Santa Clara Dec. 31, at Toledo Jan. 7, at Western Michigan Jan. 11 and at Miami Jan. 25 . . . In the Toledo game, two of the four players -- Julie DeMuth (24) and Kelsey Corbin (20) scored 20 or more points . . . Five hit the double-digit plateau against North Dakota State Nov. 27 . . . All 11 players who dressed against Lipscomb scored at least three points.
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Ball State got defensive in its two wins last week, holding its two opponents to an average of 52 points . . . The Cardinals limited Western Michigan -- the MAC's then leading offensive team -- to a season-low 16 points in the first half . . . The Broncos' 55 total points tie for their third-lowest output of the season . . . Toledo's 49 points last Wednesday mark the second-lowest effort for a BSU opponent this season . . . The Cardinals' two opponents managed a combined .345 (40-of-116) from the field and a frigid .222 (8-of-36) from 3-point range.
MORE DEFENSE: When Ball State and Central Michigan met last month, the Cardinals held the Chippewas to just 47 points, marking the lowest scoring total for a BSU opponent this season . . . CMU's 16 field goals and .308 field goal percentage were also season lows for a Cardinals' opponent.
BECCA'S BACK: After missing the first 14 games of the season due to a hip injury, junior Becca Bajorek has played in each of Ball State's past 10 games . . . She made her first appearance of the campaign against Eastern Michigan Jan. 18 . . . Bajorek entered the game at the 17:06 mark in the second half and took just 49 seconds to score her first basket of the year . . . She made her first start of the season at Kent State Feb. 8 and has started each game since . . . She had a career-high 16 points against Toledo Feb. 15 . . . She also tied career-high marks in field goal attempts (11) and free throw attempts (6) versus the Rockets . . . As a starter, she is averaging 10.0 points and 4.3 rebounds . . . Bajorek started 17 games last season.
CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARDS: Sophomore Julie DeMuth is leading Ball State for the second-straight year in rebounding . . . She is averaging a MAC-best 9.3 per game . . . She has led BSU in rebounding 17 times this season . . . She has posted a MAC-leading nine double-doubles in 2005-06 for a total of 12 in her career . . . DeMuth had 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 . . . Her fourth double-double came Dec. 31 with 17 points and 14 rebounds at Santa Clara . . . Her fifth included a season-high 24 points 13 rebounds at Toledo Jan. 7 and her sixth ended with 10 points and 13 rebounds at Miami Jan. 25 . . . She totaled 18 points and 11 boards at Ohio Jan. 31 for her seventh and then 12 points and 18 rebounds at Kent State Feb. 8 . . . Her latest double-double came with 10 points and 10 rebounds against Toledo Feb. 15 . . . The 18 rebounds at KSU tie her career high achieved last season versus the Flashes and ties for the fifth-best effort on BSU's single-game charts . . . It is also the best single-game effort in the MAC this season . . . DeMuth has 17 double-digit rebounding marks in her career and has led BSU in that category a total of 28 times . . . She also boasts 21 double-figure scoring efforts . . . Her 422 rebounds place No. 18 on Ball State career charts.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE/DOUBLE-DOUBLE: In its Dec. 31 game against Santa Clara, Ball State dominated the boards accumulating a season-high 54 . . . For the first time this season, BSU had two players tally double-doubles in the game -- Julie DeMuth and Raechelle Hampton . . . DeMuth had a game-high 17 points versus the Broncos plus pulled down 14 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the campaign . . . Hampton snared a career-high and game-leading 15 missed shots plus added 14 points for her first career double-double.
SEEING GREEN: Porchia Green made her fourth start of the season Saturday against Western Michigan . . . She totaled six points, five rebounds, three steals and two assists versus the Broncos . . . Green, who started BSU's first two games before being injured for the next six, played in a career-high 34 minutes versus Toledo in a starting role last Wednesday . . . She tied her career highs in rebounds with seven and assists with four plus added four points and a steal versus the Rockets.
CORBIN TOP SERVER: Kelsey Corbin ranks first for Ball State and seventh in the MAC with 4.1 assists per game . . . She accumulated the third double-digit assist total of her career with 11 at Western Michigan Jan. 11 . . . She added 14 points against the Broncos to notch her second career double-double . . . Corbin tallied the second double-digit assist total of her career with 10 in BSU's opener against Murray State . . . Her 11 dishes versus Western Michigan ties her career high achieved against Miami March 10, 2004 . . . Corbin, who scored a season-high 20 points Jan. 7 at Toledo, has led the Cardinals in assists 12 times this season, including a game-high seven against Western Michigan Saturday . . . In addition, she owns 11 double-figure scoring efforts in 2005-06 and a total of 23 in her career . . . She tied for team-high scoring honors with 16 points versus Toledo Wednesday.
PETITE DISH: 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 15th in the MAC with 2.9 assists per game.
BOLTE EARNS ACADEMIC HONOR: Tina Bolte was recently named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District V Second Team . . . Bolte owns a 3.49 GPA as a secondary education major . . . She is second for the Cardinals with 10.8 points per game . . . Her selection marks the fourth-straight year a BSU player has earned academic all-district honors.
IN MAC GAMES: Four players are averaging double-figure scoring marks in Ball State's 13 MAC games -- Julie DeMuth at 11.2, Tina Bolte at 10.4, and Erica Cotton and Kelsey Corbin at 10.1 . . . DeMuth, Bolte, Cotton and Corbin rank 21st, 26th and tied for 27th, respectively, in scoring in league games only . . . DeMuth tops the team with a league-best 9.5 rebounding average . . . Corbin is dishing off 4.2 assists per game.
ROSTER UPDATE: Senior Krista Stewart has left the Ball State women's basketball program for personal reasons.
RECORD START: Ball State's 5-0 start to this season marked 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 . . . Ball State's 6-1 start to the 2005-06 campaign 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.
WONDERFUL WORTHEN: Ball State is 52-18 in home games over the last six campaigns for a .743 rate of success . . . BSU, which is 9-3 in home contests this season, finished with an 8-5 mark at home 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 . . . 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.
TV SCHEDULE SET: Ball State had a two-game television package this season with the Ball State Sports Network -- Jan. 14 vs. Central Michigan and Feb. 15 against Toledo . . . The Cardinals will also appear twice on Comcast Local -- Jan. 18 against Eastern Michigan and again Feb. 28 versus Northern Illinois . . . In addition, BSU's game at Ohio Jan. 31 was televised by FSN Ohio.
MAC PRESEASON POLL: In the 2005-06 MAC News Media Association Preseason Poll, Ball State was picked to finish third in the West Division . . . Eastern Michigan was tabbed as the favorite in the West with 132 points, including 20 first-place votes . . . Western Michigan was second (99), followed by BSU (86), Toledo (83), Northern Illinois (44) and Central Michigan (39) . . . Bowling Green, the 2005 MAC Tournament and regular-season champs, is the favorite in its division with 132 points, including 17 first-place tallies . . . Kent State was second (117), followed by Miami (93), Ohio (68), Buffalo (40) and Akron (33) . . . BGSU, which move back to the East Division at the advent of this school year, is the favorite to win the tournament with 15 points, followed by Kent State with five, Eastern Michigan with four and Western Michigan with one point.
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 No. 1 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.
THE TRACY ROLLER SHOW: The Tracy Roller Show takes place each Monday night from 6 - 7 p.m. at Johnny Carino's in Muncie . . . The show, in its second season, is carried live on WCRD -- BSU's student-run radio station . . . Nathan Rausch, Joel Nickels and Kyle Trompeter host the show, which can be heard live on the web at www.ballstatesports.com.
BSU CAPTURES CLASSIC: BSU 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 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 full-time 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 fall 2005 fall grading period marked the fifth-straight semester the Ball State women's basketball team has combined for a better than 3.00 grade-point average . . . The 13-member squad tallied a 3.09 GPA for the term . . . The team posted a 3.10 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 2005-06 team boasts an overall cumulative GPA of 3.07 with nine members netting 3.0 or higher marks . . . Kelsey Corbin tops the squad with a 3.69 cumulative GPA, followed by Tina Bolte at 3.49, Dana Moorman at 3.48, Becca Bajorek at 3.40, Lisa Rusche at 3.22, Raechelle Hampton at 3.16, Brandy Ross at 3.15, Julie DeMuth at 3.10 and Kiley Jarrett at 3.0.
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.
