Ball State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Takes On Buffalo Today
February 03, 2007 | Women's Basketball
What's On Tap . .
The Cardinals begin a stretch in which they play five of their last eight games on the road, beginning with Saturday's contest at Buffalo. The Cardinals enter today's game with a 16-3 record overall and a 7-1 mark in Mid-American Conference action.
Buffalo brings a 6-14 record overall into the game and has a 1-7 mark in MAC play.
Receiving Votes . . .
For the second straight week, the Cardinals have received votes in both the Associated Press and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll. Ball State, which had two votes in the AP Poll last week, garnered four votes this week to sit in a tie for 36th in the nation.
The Cardinals remained the same in the coaches' poll as they tallied three votes, which places them in a tie for 39th place.
This is the first season that BSU is receiving votes since the 2000-01 season. That year, the Cardinals entered the poll with nine votes in 38th place and moved as high as 28th place three weeks later with 28 total votes.
The Cardinals are one of two MAC teams to receive votes this week in the AP poll as Bowling Green is ranked 17th in this week's poll.
In Good Company . . .
The Cardinals enter today's game as one of six teams in the nation to be in the top 15 in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
The Cardinals are 13th in the nation in field goal percentage at 46.5 percent while they are third in the nation from long range at 40.4 percent. BSU is joined in this elite company by Maryland (21-2), Vanderbilt (18-4), Wisconsin-Green Bay (17-3), Purdue (19-3) and Bowling Green (18-2). The combined record of the teams is 109-17 on the season.
16 and Counting . . .
The Cardinals' 16 victories so far this season is already tied for seventh most wins in a single season in program history. BSU also won 16 games in the 2004-05 and 1999-2000 seasons.
The Cardinals' program record for victories is 24 wins in the 2001-02 season. Ball State's next victory will move them into a tie for fourth most wins in a single season.
24 wins
(2001-02)
21 wins
(2002-03)
19 wins
(2000-01)
17 wins
(2005-06, 1989-90, 1974-75)
16 wins
(2006-07, 1999-2000, 2004-05)
Fast Starts . . .
The 16-3 record is tied for the best record at 19 games in program history. The Cardinals also posted a 16-3 start in the 2000-01 season when they also received votes in the Top 25. The Cardinals finished that season with a 19-9 overall record.
BSU is also 7-1 in Mid-American Conference play, which is the second best start in program history. The 2000-01 team opened MAC play with an 8-0 mark.
Cardinals In NCAA Stats . . .
The Cardinals as a team are in the top 40 in seven statistical categories in the NCAA Division I so far this season. Leading the way for BSU is its three-point shooting which is third in the nation at 40.4 percent. The Cardinals are also 13th in field goal percentage (46.5), 18th in assists per game (16.9), 23rd in three-pointers per game (6.6) and won-loss percentage (84.2), 25th in scoring offense (74.4) and 37th in scoring margin (+11.3).
Individually speaking, freshman guard Audrey McDonald is second in the nation in three-point percentage at 49 percent (47-of-96). She trails just Kristi Tolliver of Maryland who has connected on 50.5 percent (48-of-95) from long range. She is also 33rd in the nation in three-pointers per game at 2.5.
McDonald's 49 percent would be a school record and would be the third highest all-time in the MAC. Her percentage would also be fifth highest all-time by a freshman in NCAA Division I history.
Senior guard Kelsey Corbin is 58th in the nation in assists per game at 4.6 while sophomore Porchia Green is 70th in the nation in steals per game at 2.5.
Series History . . .
Today's meeting between Ball State and Buffalo is the 10th meeting all-time between the MAC schools. The Cardinals lead the series 6-3 all-time as they have won six straight games against the Bulls. The Cardinals are also 2-1 all-time in Buffalo with wins in the 2004-05 and 2002-03 seasons.
Last season, BSU took home a 70-56 victory over Buffalo at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals used a strong second half effort to down the Bulls as they out-scored Buffalo, 42-29 in the closing frame. Julie DeMuth fell just short of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. Guard Kelsey Corbin added 12 points, six rebounds and four assists in the victory. Center Becca Bajorek added eight points and six rebounds off of the bench.
Spreading It Around . . .
The Cardinals are the only team in the Mid-American Conference this season that has all five starters averaging double figures on the season. Julie DeMuth leads the charge at 14.9 followed by Kelsey Corbin (11.1), Porchia Green (10.5), Lisa Rusche (10.5) and Audrey McDonald (10.4).
In fact, only 17th ranked Bowling Green even has four players averaging double figures. Seven MAC teams have three players averaging double figures in Eastern Michigan, Kent State, Miami, Northern Illinois, Ohio, Toledo and Western Michigan.
RPI Watching . . .
The Cardinals and their 16-3 record have been making some noise in the RPI rankings this season. Ball State is rated as high as 41st by RealTimeRPI.com. The Cardinals are also 52nd by The Sagarin Report, 53rd by CollegeRPI.com and 57th by RPIRatings.com
The Cardinals are listed at 57th in the latest NCAA RPI listings on January 29th. BSU also listed as an at-large selection on CollegeRPI.com in the latest bracket projection and has a projected RPI of 37.
ESPN.com's Bracketology also has the Cardinals earning an at-large bid in the latest projection.
Last Time Out . . .
The Cardinals had their 10-game winning streak snapped last weekend as they dropped a 77-66 victory to visiting Ohio. The Cardinals struggled from the field in the loss as they connected on just 23-of-62 (37.1%). BSU was also off from the charity stripe as it hit just 60 percent (15-of-25) from the line in the loss. Ohio countered with solid shooting on the afternoon as it connected on 48.1 percent (25-of-52) from the field and 85.2 percent (23-of-27) from the charity stripe.
Junior forward Julie DeMuth paced the Cardinals as she posted her seventh double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds. She finished five-of-13 from the field and nine-of-13 from the charity stripe in the loss.
The Bobcats claimed the victory with a 16-2 run over the next four minutes to take a 67-55 lead with 1:49 remaining. Ohio sealed the game from the charity stripe as it hit 21-of-24 (87.5%) from the line in the second half.
Lisa Rusche finished the night with 12 points as she was four-of-11 shooting from the field. Tina Bolte added nine points as she hit her first three shots of the game before finishing three-of-eight from the field. Freshman Kalynne Proctor chipped in eight points off of the bench while senior Kelsey Corbin added six points and six assists in the loss.
Scouting the Cardinals . . .
The Cardinals enter today's game with a 16-3 record as they are coming off of their first loss of the New Year. Ball State also has a 7-1 mark in MAC play and sit alone in first place in the MAC-West Division with a one game lead of Eastern Michigan.
The Cardinals are averaging 74.4 points per game this season and are holding opponents to just 63.1 points per game. BSU is also shooting a league best 46.5 percent from the field and has connected on 40.4 percent from three-point land.
The Cardinals have all five starters averaging double figures this season. Junior Julie DeMuth leads the team in scoring at 14.9 points and rebounding at 8.4 boards per game. Senior Kelsey Corbin is second on the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game and leads the team in assists at 88.
Sophomore Porchia Green is tied for third in scoring at 10.5 points per game and is second in rebounding at 6.4. Junior Lisa Rusche also chips in 10.5 points per game and is third in rebounding at 6.2.
Freshman Audrey McDonald rounds out the double figure scorers as she averages 10.4 points per game.
Scouting the Bulls . . .
Buffalo enters today's game with a 6-14 record overall and a 1-7 mark in MAC action. The Bulls have dropped dour straight games and seven of their last eight.
Buffalo is averaging 59.8 points per game this season and allowing opponents 64.4 points per game. The Bulls are connecting on 39.8 percent from the field and 33.2 percent from three-point land.
Heather Turner leads the charge for the Bulls as she averages a team-high 12.5 points per game and 76.6 rebounds per contest. Stephanie Bennett is the other Bull in double figures as she averages 12.4 points per game.
Dishing Out the Helpers . . .
The Cardinals lead the MAC in assists per game this season at 16.9. BSU has stepped up its passing in conference action as it is averaging 18.62 helpers per game.
Senior Kelsey Corbin is third in MAC action as she has averaged 6.0 helpers in the eight conference games. Sophomore Porchia Green is 12th in the conference at 3.62 assists per game. Corbin and Green are the top two in assist/turnover ratio in conference action. Corbin leads at 2.82 while Green is second at 2.42.
Heading to the Line . . .
Junior forward Julie DeMuth has been to the free throw line a team-high 133 times this season. and has hit on 100 (75.2%). Her 133 attempts and her 100 makes this season are both already career-highs.
She is already sixth all-time in BSU single season records for free throws attempted and is seventh in free throws made.
Hot Shooting . . .
The Cardinals enter today's game shooting 46.5 percent (491-of-1055) from the field this season. That 46.5 percent would be the second highest team total for BSU in program history. The single season record is 47 percent (752-of-1599) in the 1985-86 season. Ball State also posted a 46.4 percent field goal percentage (888-of-1912) in the 2002-03 season.
Winning Streaks . . .
The Cardinals had their 10-game winning streak snapped last weekend with their loss against Ohio. The 10-game winning streak is the second longest in program history and is the second winning streak this season for the Cardinal's of five games or more.
11 games
(2000-01)
10 games
(2006-07)
Eight Games
(2001-02 & 1974-75)
Six Games
(2002-03, 1985-86)
Protect This House . . .
The Cardinals also had their program-record 11-game home winning streak snapped last weekend. The 11-game streak is the longest ever in BSU history, surpassing the old record of 10-straight victories.
11 straight home victories
(2005-06 - 2006-07)
10 straight home victories
(2000-01 - 2001-02)
Nine straight home victories
(1999-00 - 2000-01)
Cleaning the Glass . . .
The Cardinals enter today's game with a 10-0 record on the season when they out-rebound their opponent. Ball State though, is ninth in the Mid-American Conference in rebounding offense at 35.8 boards per game. The Cardinals have controlled the boards on the other end as they are second in the MAC in rebounding defense as they allow just 33.6 boards per game. BSU is second in the conference in rebounding margin at +2.2 boards per game.
Did You Know? . . .
The Cardinals are 12-1 this season when they score at least 70 points in a game. Ball State is also 13-1 when it holds opponents under the 70-point mark.
DeMuth Honored . . .
Junior forward Julie DeMuth became the second Cardinal this season to earn MAC-West Division Player of the Week honors when she received the accolade last week. DeMuth led the Cardinals to back-to-back victories at Central Michigan and at Eastern Michigan.
DeMuth, a preseason All-MAC recipient, posted back-to-back double-doubles in the Cardinals' victories at Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan. She posted a double-double at Central Michigan with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds in the overtime victory. She followed that up with a 14 point, 14 rebound effort at preseason MAC-West Division favorite Eastern Michigan.
DeMuth leads the Cardinals in scoring and rebounding this season as she averages 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game. She is tied for second in the conference in rebounds per game and is eighth in scoring in the MAC. She has now recorded six double-doubles this season and tallied 19 for her career.
Milestone Victory . . .
Earlier this season, the Cardinals claimed an 82-72 victory over Charlotte in the championship game of the SPC Holiday Classic was a milestone victory for head coach Tracy Roller as it was her 100th career victory at the helm of the Cardinals. She becomes just the third coach, men's or women's, in Ball State history to reach 100 career victories as she joins Ray McCallum and Jim Hinga. Ironically, both Roller and McCallum both reached 100 victories in their 162nd game.
Roller, who already the all-time winningest women's coach in program history, brings a 107-62 record into today's contest.
Television Exposure . . .
The Cardinals will have four MAC games televised this season, with two games as part of the MAC television package and two games on the Ball State Sports Network (BSSN).
The Cardinals were on BSSN twice this season as they had their Northern Illinois and Ohio games broadcasted.
Ball State, who has already appeared on Comcast Local once this season, will have back-to-back MAC games aired later this season. The Cardinals' Feb. 17 game at Western Michigan and the Feb. 21 game at home against Central Michigan will be seen on Comcast Local.
Non-Conference Success . . .
The Cardinals posted a program-best 9-2 record in the non-conference season this year. The nine victories are the most in a single season since Ball State joined the Mid-American Conference.
The Cardinals previously posted their best non-conference record of 8-3 on two different occasions (2001-02 & 2000-01)
9-2 - 2006-07
8-3 - 2001-02 & 2000-01
7-3 - 1989-90
8-4 - 2002-3
7-4 - 2005-06 & 1999-2000
Midseason Tournaments . . .
The Cardinals have picked up two midseason tournament championships this season with the BSU Credit Union Classic and the SPC Holiday Classic. This is just the second season in which Ball State has secured two titles during the same year. The last time BSU accomplished the feat was in the 1999-2000 season.
MAC Stats . . .
Heading into today's game, the Cardinals have all five starters in the top 30 in scoring in the MAC with Julie DeMuth (10th), Kelsey Corbin (26th), Porchia Green (27th), Lisa Rusche (27th) and Audrey McDonald (30th). The Cardinals also have three players in the top 18 in rebounding with DeMuth (5th), Green (14th) and Rusche (18th).
McDonald is first in the MAC in three-point shooting at 49 percent while Green would be second at 47.3 percent if she had enough attempts to qualify. Senior Tina Bolteis fourth in the conference at 40.5 percent.
Corbin is sixth in the conference in field goal percentage at 50.3. She leads the conference in assist/turnover ratio at 2.10. Rusche is eight in the MAC in field goal percentage at 48.3 and second in blocks per game at 1.58.
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 recorded a career-high 23 points against Northern Illinois. Sophomore guard Porchia Green turned in a career-high 22 points against Charlotte.
Junior forward Lisa Rusche leads the way with her 36-point effort against Butler while classmate Julie DeMuth added 28-points at Illinois State.
Freshman Kalynne Proctor recorded a new career-high on Saturday afternoon as she scored 11 points against Miami.
Owning the Glass . . .
Junior guard Julie DeMuth leads the Cardinals and is third in the Mid-American Conference in rebounding this season at 8.4 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 moved into a tie for ninth place all-time with an 11-rebound effort against Ohio. She is currently tied with Shelley Silk at 618 rebounds.
5th - Stephanie McQuinn (678)
6th - Kate Endress (663)
7th - Jamie Lehotsky (642)
8th - Char Thomsen (630)
t-9th - Julie DeMuth (618)
t-9th - Shelley Silk (618)
11th - Alana Hancock (586)
12th - Glena Rusch (540)
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.
Bolte is second on the team this season with 30 three-pointers. She moved into sole possession of third place all-time earlier this season against Northern Illinois. She enters today's game with 162 career three-pointers.
1st - Johna Goff (253)
2nd - Kate Endress (205)
3rd- Tina Bolte (162)
4th - Markita Griffin (152)
5th - Alana Hancock (139)
Lending a Helping Hand . . .
Senior guard Kelsey Corbin leads the team in assists with season with 88. She became just the seventh player all-time to reach 300 career assists earlier this season. She enters tonight's game fourth all-time in career assists at 374.
She past Stephanie McQuinne for the fourth place all-time in career assists on Tuesday night against Akron.
1st - Shala Crook (628)
2nd - Jenny Eckert (471)
3rd - Johna Goff (447)
4th - Kelsey Corbin (374)
5th - Stephanie McQuinne (364)
6th - Jane Emkes (346)
7th - Alana Hancock (302)
Double-Trouble . . .
Junior Julie DeMuth led the Mid-American Conference in double-doubles last season as she posted 10 double dips as a sophomore and already has recorded seven double dips so far this season. She is currently second in the MAC this season with her six double-doubles.
DeMuth posted her first double-double of the 2006-07 season against Wright State as she scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. She has since added double-doubles against Illinois State, Xavier, St. Peter's, Central Michigan, Eastern Michigan and Ohio. Her double-double against Ohio was the
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 - 20
Kate Endress - 14
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.
History in the Making . . .
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.
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. 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 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
Looking Ahead . . .
The Cardinals will continue their two-game road swing on Wednesday night as they travel to 17th ranked Bowling Green for a showdown between the two division leaders.
