Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Tennessee Tech University (Field Trip Day)
WBB Hosts Tennessee Tech in Season Opener Monday for Seventh Annual "Field Trip Day"
November 03, 2023 | Women's Basketball
Opening Tip:
- Monday's game against Tennessee Tech will mark only the third meeting all-time in program history the two schools have met with the all-time series being tied, 1-1. The Cardinals opened the 2023 on the road last year against the Golden Eagles which resulted in a 68-63 loss for BSU. The Cardinals last defeated the Golden Eagles under the direction of 12th-year head coach Brady Sallee by a score of 76-64 in Las Vegas on Nov. 30, 2013. Brady Sallee is familiar with Tennessee Tech as he coached in the Ohio Valley Conference at Eastern Illinois from 2004-12.
- Ball State recently was picked to finish second in the Mid-American Conference preseason poll while Tennessee Tech was picked first in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference.
- Tennessee Tech returns a deep squad coming off of its first Ohio Valley Conference tournament championship and NCAA appearance since 2000 and its first NCAA tournament victory since 1990. The Golden Eagles return nine players from that team, including leading-scorer and single-season 3-point record holder Maaliya Owens, who was named the Ohio Valley Conference's Preseason Player of the Year. The Golden Eagles finished 23-10 – its second-consecutive 20-win season – with a 13-5 record in the OVC. As a team, Tech averaged 68.7 points and allowed 63.1, while shooting .427 from the floor, .337 from 3-point range and .760 at the charity stripe.
- Ball State women's basketball head coach Brady Sallee is beginning his 12th year at Ball State, returns 10 players from a record-setting squad that saw the Cardinals finish 26-9 with a 14-4 Mid-American Conference ledger. The Cardinals' 26 wins a season ago tied the program record for most wins in a season. Ball State advanced to the semifinals of the MAC Tournament and the second round of the postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT) for the first time since 2018. The 20-win season also marked the sixth time in the last eight years Sallee reached the 20-win plateau.
- Ball State was recently picked 11th in the College Insider Preseason poll while Tennessee Tech was tabbed to the 23rd spot.
Sallee Enters Year 12:
Sallee enters his 12th season at the helm of the Cardinals, already the winningest coach in program history. He touts a record of 209-141 in just 11 seasons and has guided Ball State to eight postseason Women's National Invitation Tournaments, a WNIT Final 16 appearance, a Mid-American Conference West Division title (2014), 10 MAC Tournament appearances and sixth 20-plus win seasons, a feat no head coach at Ball State had done before him.
First Game of the Season:
- Head coach Brady Sallee is 3-7 all-time in season openers at Ball State dating back to his first season in 2012-13.
- This marks the second-straight season the Cardinals have opened up the season against the Golden Eagles. BSU suffered a 68-63 loss to Tennessee Tech on Nov. 7, 2022.
- Today's game marks the seventh-annual "Field Trip Day" for the Cardinals.
- Today's contest marks the seventh annual Field Trip Day. The Cardinals are 6-0 on Field Trip Day with wins against Milwaukee (84-75 OT), Arkansas Pine Bluff (88-60), Austin Peay (89-57), Bowling Green (77-70), Xavier (70-49) and IU East (105-51).
Career Milestones:
- Ally Becki needs 251 points for 1,000, 159 assists and 111 rebounds to reach the 500 mark.
- Nyla Hampton needs 135 points for 1,000.
- Marie Keifer has 99 blocks for her career -- needs six blocks to move into second place all-time and 54 to move into first place.
