Ball State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Featured First In Double Header At WMU
March 01, 2019 | Women's Basketball
Ball State (7-20, 2-13 MAC) vs. Western Michigan (9-17, 3-12 MAC)
March 2, 2019
Kalamazoo, Mich. (Read Fieldhouse)
Watch: ESPN3 | Listen: 102.9/1340 | Live Stats
Game Notes (PDF): Ball State | Western Michigan
TIME FOR TIP-OFF
- Saturday's game against Western Michigan will mark the 83rd time in program history the two schools have met with Ball State leading the series record, 44-38.
- In 2017-18, the Cardinals swept the MAC regular season series against the Broncos winning 81-71 (Feb. 10) in Kalamazoo and then 85-58 (Feb. 21) in Muncie. WMU did defeat Ball State in post season action, 65-54, at the MAC Tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
- Ball State lost to Western Michigan 65-62 in its first meeting at Worthen Arena this season. It marked the first time in head coach Brady Sallee's career with the Cardinals' that he had lost to the Broncos at home.
- Ball State owns a 24-7 ledger over Western Michigan dating back to the 2004-05 season. Brady Sallee owns an 11-3 career record against the Broncos.
- Both teams are coming off losses in their mid-week match-ups. Western Michigan fell to Toledo 73-63 while Ball State lost to Central Michigan, 81-64.
- With only three games remaining, the Cardinals sit in 11th place while the Broncos are in 10th.
- Today's contest is a doubleheader with the Ball State men's basketball team as well. Its is the fourth doubleheader for the Cardinals.
- Senior guard Jasmin Samz led the Cardinals in scoring Wednesday in Worthen Arena against Central Michigan with a career high 26-point performance. She shot a staggering 83 percent (5-of-6) from behind the arc. Samz has now scored in double figures 37 times for her career at Ball State.
ABOUT WESTERN MICHIGAN
- The Broncos return to Reid Fieldhouse Saturday after losing on the road to Toledo Wednesday night by a score of 73-63. Since the Ball State game on Jan. 26 the Broncos had lost seven in a row until last Saturday when they snapped their losing steak at home against Eastern Michigan, 71-68
- Western Michigan has two players scoring in double figures, Deja Wibmy (13.7 ppg) and Leighah-Amori Wood (11.3 ppg).
- Ball State is 30-15 against Michigan schools during head coach Brady Sallee's seven seasons after beating Detroit Mercy (twice), Western Michigan (11 times), Eastern Michigan (10 times), Central Michigan (five times) and Oakland University (twice).
- Shane Clipfell first year as the head coach of the Broncos was also Brady Sallee's first year at Ball State. Clipfell was familiar with the MAC as he was an assistant coach at Eastern Michigan for nine seasons. Prior to Western Michigan, Clipfell was an assistant coach at Michigan State. Clipfell's best season with the Broncos was in 2014-15, leading WMU to an overall record of 20-13 and an 11-7 MAC ledger.
WHAT'S NEXT FOR THE CARDINALS
- The season is winding down for the Cardinals, after today's game against Western Michigan, Ball State will continue its two-game road swing when it travels to Northern Illinois Wednesday for an 8 p.m. ET start in the Convocation Center. The Cardinals fell to the Huskies at home in their first meeting, 93-83. After that, Ball State will close out its regular season action at home Saturday, March 9 against Eastern Michigan at 2 p.m. in Worthen Arena. As of right now the Cardinals will be playing on the road for the first time in Sallee's career in the first round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament on Monday, March 11.
