Ball State University
University of Northern Iowa
Women's Basketball Plays at Northern Iowa for First Road Test of the Season
November 15, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Ball State (3-0) vs. Northern Iowa (2-0)
Nov. 16, 2024 >> McLeod Center >>Cedar Falls, Iowa >>3 pm ET
Opening Tip:
- Ball State (3-0)Â heads out for its first road trip of the season Saturday afternoon when it plays at Northern Iowa (2-0) for a showdown of undefeated teams in Cedar Falls, Iowa at 3 pm ET.Â
- The matchup is third-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Panthers with Ball State winning both contests in Worthen Arena. In their last meeting, the Cardinals defeated the Panthers by a 75-64 decision on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023 in Muncie.Â
 - Ball State carries a 100-71 away record into the game Saturday in 13 seasons under head women's basketball coach Brady Sallee. The Cardinals proved to be road warriors last year as they ended the 2023-24 season with a 12-3 road ledger.Â
- Both Ball State and Northern Iowa reached postseason play last year. The Cardinals were invited to participate in the NCAA's first-ever Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) while the Panthers competed in the Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). Both squads lost their first postseason games, respectively.Â
- Ally Becki has picked up where she left off last season. The senior guard just recorded her first triple double on Wednesday against Memphis. For the game, Becki scored 22 points, pulled down 10 rebounds while dishing out 10 assists. Becki's triple double also marked the first from a Ball State women's basketball player since at least 2010 when the NCAA started keeping the triple double stat. It was also the first NCAA women's basketball Division I triple double of the season.
- Against Memphis, Michigan transfer Elise Stuck scored a career high 20 points for the Cardinals off of 8-12 shooting from the floor.
 - After three games the Cardinals rank in the top 50 in seven different categories in the current NCAA Division I rankings; 24th - assists per game (19.7), 29th - 3-point attempts (28.3), 33rd - assist/turnover ratio (1.34), 40th - turnover margin (9.0), 46th - blocks per game (5.3), 46th - turnovers forced (23.67) and 47th - defensive rebounds per game (30.7).
Top 10 In the Country:
Ally Becki ranks first in the nation in triple doubles (1), seventh in steals per game (4.3) eighth in assists per game (7.3), ninth in steals (13) and 10th in assists (22). Marie Kiefer currently ranks ninth in blocks per game (3.0).
Lachelle Austin Nearing 1,000 PTS
The Cardinals welcomed transfer Lachelle Austin to its 2024-25 roster this season. Austin, a senior, is familiar with the Mid-American Conference, playing three years at Eastern Michigan. Austin was one of the Eagles top scorers and has scored in double figure in all three of the Cardinals' contests thus far this season. Austin for her career has 836 points and needs just 164Â to reach 1,000.
Battle 4 Atlantis:
The Cardinals are set to participate at the Battle 4 Atlantis in the Bahamas Nov. 23-25. The tournament is celebrating its 13th season of elite collegiate tournament play. The Cardinals along with Baylor, Columbia University, Indiana University, North Carolina, Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M and Villanova were all invited to play in the event. Ball State is set to open the tournament on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 6:30 pm ET.
