Ball State University Athletics
Are YOU Ready For It? WBB Opens Season at Home Monday Against Old Dominion
November 02, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Ball State (0-0) vs. Old Dominion (0-0) MAC/SBC Challenge
Nov. 4, 2024 >> Worthen Arena >>Muncie, Ind..>> 6:30Â pm ET
Opening Tip:
- Tonight's season opener is part of the Mid-American/Sun Belt Conference Challenge which is in its second season. This marks the first-ever meeting between Ball State and Old Dominion.
- Last season the Cardinals went 2-0 in the MAC/SBC Challenge. Ball State defeated Troy on the road by a score of 86-71 on Nov. 11, 2023. The Cardinals then defeated James Madison by a 72-57 decision in Worthen Arena on Feb. 11, 2024.Â
- Old Dominion also went 2-0 in the MAC/SBC Challenge with defeats over Buffalo (59-48) and Kent State (82-76).
- Both Ball State and Old Dominion competed in the semifinals of their respective conference tournaments.
- As the Ball State women's basketball team awaits the opportunity to write its story for the 2024-25 season, the Mid-American Conference's 12 head coaches provided a nice prologue by naming the Cardinals the preseason favorite to win both the league's regular season and tournament titles. The Cardinals also placed seniors Ally Becki and Madelyn Bischoff on the Preseason All-MAC Team, with Becki earning a spot on the first team and Bischoff tabbed on the second team.
- For the second consecutive season, the Ball State women's basketball team will host a nationally televised regular season contest when Mid-American Conference rival Toledo visits Worthen Arena on Monday, Jan. 20 at 11 a.m. ET. This will also be the third season in a row the Cardinals will play on a national stage. Ball State has been chosen to display its past success on ESPN2, ESPNU and CBS Sports Network. Last year, Ball State won both of its nationally televised contests beating Toledo, 65-61, in Muncie on CBSN and Kent State on the road on ESPNU by a score of 75-71.
- Ball State is 4-8 under the direction of Brady Sallee in season openers. The Cardinals won their season opener last year at home in a 97-64 victory over Tennessee Tech on Nov. 6, 2023.
- Ball State had a highly successful 2023-24 season under the direction of head coach Brady Sallee who is entering his 13th season.Â
- The Cardinals tallied 28 overall wins and 16 MAC victories, with both being program records.Â
- Ball State earned the No. 2 seed in the MAC Tournament, reaching the semifinals for the third-straight season, and received votes in the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll for nine straight weeks during the year.Â
- Ball State ended the season by hosting the first round of the inaugural NCAA Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament.
- Ball State returns Ally Becki and Madeyln Bischoff who were both post season All-MAC selections. Becki earned All-MAC FIrst Team honors while Bischoff was selected All-MAC Third Team.Â
- Four returning starters have 700+ career points going into the 2024-25 season; Ally Becki (1,191), Madelyn Bischoff (825), Alex Richard (727) and Marie Kiefer (726).
What We Did Last Season In Worthen
Last season the Cardinals outscored their opponents in Worthen Arena by a +16.3 margin. Ball State averaged 75.9 points per game why defensively holding its opponents to 59.6 ppg. The Cardinals only lost two games in total last year at home against Notre Dame and Belmont. When playing at home, three returning Cardinals averaged double digit scoring; Madelyn Bischoff (11.6 ppg), Ally Becki (11.1 ppg) and Alex Richard (10.3 ppg).
MAC/SBC Challenge:
The MAC-SBC Challenge, a scheduling alliance in the sports of men's and women's basketball, kicked off during the opening week of the 2023-24 season last November with 12 Mid-American Conference (MAC) men's basketball programs hosting 12 Sun Belt Conference (SBC) teams, while the 12 MAC women's basketball programs will visit 12 SBC teams. Each MAC and Sun Belt team included in the MAC-SBC Challenge, currently scheduled to take place during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 campaigns, is guaranteed one home and one away game each season.
