Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
University of Northern Iowa
Women's Basketball Welcomes Northern Iowa to Worthen Arena Saturday
November 16, 2023 | Women's Basketball
The Cardinals will play at 11 am ET prior to the Ball State football game tickets are good for both contests
Ball State (3-0) at Northern Iowa (1-1)
November 18, 2023 >>Worthen Arena>Muncie, Ind.>> 11 am ET
Opening Tip:
- The Cardinals are looking to start the 2023-24 season with a 4-0 mark Saturday against the Panthers for the first time since the 2017 season. That year Ball State made history under head coach Brady Sallee, finishing the non-conference season with an 11-0 mark.
- Ball State is coming off a road win at Chicago State Tuesday, 85-56. For the third straight game five Cardinals reach double-digit scoring -- Annie Rauch (18), Ally Becki (14), Madelyn Bischoff (14), Estel Puiggros (12) and Hana Mühl (10). The Cardinals bench also played another huge part in Ball State's success with 43 points.
- The Panthers come to Muncie with a 1-1 record after openinng the season with a 78-67 victory over Green Bay and then recently fell to No. 3 Iowa 94-53.
- This will be the second-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Panthers with Ball State winning the lone contest in Worthen Arena in 2012-13 in the second round of the postseason WNIT by a score of 53-48.
- Next week Ball State faces back-to-back in-state rivals when it plays at IUPUI (Nov. 22) and then will host No. 14/16 Notre Dame (Nov. 24) for a Blackout Black Friday event the day after Thanksgiving.
- Marie Kiefer earned her 100th career block against Chicago State Tuesday night. The junior currently sits in third with 100 career blocks and needs only five more to take sole possession over secnd all-time which is currently held by former Cardinal Rennee Bennett (2013-17). The top stop is held by Tama Bowie (2000-03) with 152 blocks.
- Next Friday's game will mark the first double-header with the Ball State men's basketball team. Both squads have started the season 3-0 for the first time since the 1975-76 season.
Fourth Game of the Season:
- The Cardinals have shot over 50 percent from the field in all three of their games this season.
- Ball State continues to dominate offensively on all areas of the court which includes 55 percent from the field (102-186) and 42 percent from behind the arc (27-64).
- In her first three contests as a Cardinal, Nyla Hampton has stolen the ball 14 times and has dished out 17 assists. Hampton is seventh in the nation currently in steals (14) and eighth in steals per game (4.6).
- After three games the Cardinals rank third nationally in field goal percentage (54.7), ninth in steals per game (16.0), 15th in bench points (39.5), 16th in assists per game (21.5), 19th in turnover margin (11.0) 21st in three-point percentage (43.2) and 21st in scoring offense (91.5).
- The Cardinals have outscored their opponents in every quarter but one so far this season.
Scouting Northern Iowa:
- Northern Iowa is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC).
- Off the bench, the Panthers are averaging 30 points per game, the second-best mark in the MVC.
- UNI averages only 12 turnovers per game, which ranks the lowest in the MVC.
- Norther Iowa is coached by Tanya Warren who is in her 17th season at the helm of the Panthers.
- For the first time in program history, UNI women's basketball was selected as the Missouri Valley Conference preseason favorite for the 2023-24 season. In the Tanya Warren era, the Panthers have been in the top two six times including this year's No. 1 projection.
- Forward Grace Boffeli was named the MVC Preseason Player of the Year. She is the first Panther to earn that recognition.
Next Game:
The Cardinals will play at IUPUI on Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 2 pm ET. Ball State and IUPUI have met nine times, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series, 7-2. Ball State and IUPUI's last meeting was in 2022 in Muncie. The Cardinals won that contest, 61-54. Ball State also won its last contest at IUPUI on Dec. 8, 2021 by a score of 73-67.
