Ball State University
No. 6 Western Michigan (MAC Quarterfinals)
WBB Takes On WMU In MAC Tourney Quarterfinals Wednesday In Cleveland
March 06, 2018 | Women's Basketball
Game #30: 2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament Quarterfinals No. 3 Ball State vs. No. 6 Western Michigan
Date: Wednesday, March 7, in Quicken Loans Arena
Tipoff: Approximately at 7:30 p.m.
Television: ESPN3
Listen: Muncie Sports Station 102.9 FM/1340 AM
Live Stats: No. 3 Ball State vs. No. 6 Western Michigan
Social Media: @BallStateWBB, @BallStateSports, #ChirpChirp
Game Notes: Ball State | Western Michigan
2018 Mid-American Conference Tournament Bracket
Mid-American Conference Tournament Central Page
- The No. 3 seeded Ball State women's basketball team earned an automatic bye as the third seed advancing straight to the quarterfinals of the Mid-American Conference Tournament Wednesday and will approximately play at 7:30 p.m. in Quicken Loans Arena against No. 6 Western Michigan. Ball State enters the tournament winning six of its last seven contests. The Cardinals won their MAC regular season series over Western Michigan this year, winning in Kalamazoo on Feb. 10 by a score of 81-71 and then at home on Feb. 21, 85-58.
- This marks the 28th appearance in the Mid-American Conference Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 17 out of the past 18 seasons. The Cardinals are 20-26 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on five occasions. Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game. This is the fifth time in current head coach Brady Sallee's tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland. Prior to that, Ball State had not received a bye in the MAC Tournament at Quicken Loans Arena since 2009, when the Cardinals won the event as the No. 2 seed.
- In the last three seasons, head coach Brady Sallee has compiled a 17-12 record for the month of March. Last year Ball State went 1-2 in the month of March. In 2015-16, Ball State registered a 4-2 ledger in March with wins over Northern Illinois, Toledo and Big Ten foe Iowa. The 2014-15 season wasn't any different, as Ball State began the month with wins over Central Michigan and Toledo before falling to Eastern Michigan in the semifinals of the MAC Tournament. In 2013-14, the Cardinals began the month with wins over Western Michigan, Northern Illinois and Toledo before heading into the MAC Tournament where they won four-straight before suffering a loss to Akron in the championship game. Ball State went 3-3 in the month of March in 2012-13, which included two wins in the Women's National Invitation Tournament, advancing the Cardinals to the Final 16. So far this season, Ball State is 1-0 this month with a win over Eastern Michigan.
- Ball State is two games away from tying the programs record for most wins in a season. In 2008-09, the Cardinals went 26-9 under the direction of former head coach Kelly Packard. Current assistant coach, Audrey McDonald-Spencer was the starting guard for that team.
- Ball State's 24-5 record is the best start in program history. Currently, their are only nine Division I women's basketball programs in the country that have suffered only five losses.
- Ball State finished non-conference play with an 11-0 record and was one of only seven teams nationally to accomplish that goal. The Cardinals were also only one of two non Power 5 teams on that list. Ball State has received votes in both the USA Today Coaches and AP Top 25 polls this season.
- Power 5 conference wins over - Vanderbilt (88-79) and Purdue (66-60). Along with wins over Big East opponent Butler (87-75) and Conference USA Western Kentucky (93-81).
- Ball State has scored at least 80-plus points in 19 out of its 29 games.
- Ball State ranks 34th nationally in the latest RPI which is the third highest ranking of any team in the Mid-American Conference.
- Ball State has four wins over top 100 RPI Teams - Western Kentucky (56), Purdue (60), Toledo (71), and Miami (83).
- Junior guard Carmen Grande ranks second nationally in assists per game (9.4 apg) and second in total assists (272). She currently has 675 career assists and became the program's all-time assists leader at Western Michigan on Saturday, Feb. 10. Grande is currently 10th on the MAC all-time assists list. The record is 810 held by Marti Heckman of Ohio (1983-86).
- The 11 straight non-conference wins marked the second largest win streak in program history (12 in 2008-09 which included win over Tennessee in the NCAA Tournament).
- Senior forward Moriah Monaco has scored 80 times in double figures over her career and is 69 points away from moving up to fifth on the program's all-time scoring list.
- Ball State sixth year head women's basketball coach Brady Sallee became the program's winningest coach after the Cardinals defeated Eastern Michigan 88-63 on March 3 in the Convocation Center. Sallee's career record at Ball State is now 119-72 and passes former head coach Tracy Roller who coached at Ball State from 2001-08.
- Western Michigan holds a 17-14 record heading into tonight's contest and a 9-9 MAC record. The Cardinals swept the MAC regular season series over the Broncos this season. Ball State defeated WMU 81-71 in Kalamazoo on Feb. 10 and then the Cardinals earned an 85-58 victory on Feb. 21 in Worthern Arena.
- Wednesday's game against Western Michigan will mark the 81st time in program history the two schools have met with Ball State leading the series record, 44-36. Ball State owns a 24-6 ledger over Western Michigan dating back to the 2004-05 season. Brady Sallee owns an 11-1 career record against the Broncos.
- Western Michigan is paced by Breanna Mobley who leads the team averaging 16.3 points per game. Behind Mobley is Deja Wibmy who is scoring 11.9 points per contest while teammate Marley Hill rounds out the double figure scoring for the Broncos with 10.0 points per game.
- The last time Ball State and Western Michigan met in the Mid-American Conference Tournament was in the first round in 2010. The Cardinals defeated the Broncos that year by a score of 67-43 in Worthen Arena.
- The Broncos are led by head coach Shane Clipfell who is in his sixth season at WMU. He owns a career coaching mark of 107-102.
- Ball State and Buffalo are the only two Mid-American Conference schools to have their men and women earn a byes straight to Cleveland.
- The win over Tennessee State Nov. 22 gave head coach Brady Sallee his 100th win at Ball State. Sallee became only the second head coach in program history to accomplish that feat, quicker than Tracy Roller did from 2001-08. Roller ended her tenure at Ball State with an 121-75 overall mark.
- With the win over Purdue, sixth year head coach Brady Sallee has now defeated four Power 5 conference schools during his tenure at Ball State; Minnesota (54-51, 2012-13), Iowa (77-72, 2015-16), Vanderbilt (88-79, 2017-18) and Purdue (66-60, 12/4).
- The last time Ball State pulled off an upset in the Mid-American Conference Tournament as the No. 3 seed was in 2003 when the Cardinals defeated No. 2 Miami by a score of 93-84 in the semifinals. Ball State then fell to No. 4 Western Michigan in the championship game, 81-76. The last time a No. 3 seed won the MAC Championship was in 2014 when No. 3 Akron defeated No. 5 Ball State, 79-58.
