WBB Heads to the Bahamas to Compete at the Battle 4 Atlantis; Faces No. 15/16 UNC Saturday
November 21, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Ball State (4-0) vs. No. 15/16 North Carolina (3-1)
Nov. 23, 2024 >> Imperial Arena >>Paradise Island, Bahamas>>6:30 p.m.
Opening Tip:
- Ball State has won its first four games of the season for the second-straight year. Last season, the Cardinals opened the 2023-24 season with a 5-0 record before falling at home to then ranked No. 14 Notre Dame by a score of 90-59 on Nov. 24, 2023. In 2017-18 the Ball State Cardinals went 11-0 in non-conference action for a program record under 13-year head coach Brady Sallee.
- No. 15/16 North Carolina is the first ranked opponent the Cardinals will have faced this season.
- Brady Sallee has led Ball State to wins over six Power 5 schools -- Georgia, Pitt (Twice), Vanderbilt, Purdue, Iowa, and Minnesota.
- 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.
- The Battle 4 Atlantis Women's Basketball Tournament is in its fourth season. The 2024 Women's Battle 4 Atlantis competing teams will include: Ball State University, Baylor University, Columbia University, Indiana University, University of North Carolina, University of Southern Mississippi, Texas A&M University, and Villanova University. The three-game tournament will begin Nov. 23 and end on Monday, Nov. 25.
- This will be the first-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Tarheels.
- After the Battle 4 Atlantis, the Cardinals will return home for a Sunday matinee on Dec. 1 against South Dakota State for Athlete Appreciation Night beginning at 1 pm ET in Worthen Arena. After that, the Cardinals will host Davidson College on Thursday, Dec. 5 for its annual Field Trip Day at 11 am ET.
Ally Becki has picked up where she left off last season. The senior guard recently recorded her first triple double on Nov 13 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.
Marie Kiefer has 151 total blocks entering Saturday's contest. She needs one block to tie the program record and two blocks to take the top spot. Currently the record is being held by former Cardinal Tamara Bowie with 152 total blocks a record that hasn't been broken since 2003.
Ball State ranks in the top 50 in the nation in these statistical categories: 1st in winning percentage (100.0), 27th in 3-point field goal attempts (28.0), 37th in blocks per game (5.3), 38th in defensive rebounds (29.8), 41st in assists per game (17.8), 43rd in rebounds per game (43.25), 46th in assist/turnover ratio (1.18) and 50th in turnover margin (6.75).
Lachelle Austin
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 854 points and needs just 146 to reach 1,000.
Top 10 in the Country:
Ally Becki ranks first in the nation in triple doubles (1) and 10th in steals per game (3.75).
Ball State vs. Battle 4 Atlantis Opponents
Ball State vs. Baylor (First-Ever Meeting)
Ball State vs. Columbia (First-Ever Meeting)
Ball State vs. Indiana (IU leads the all-time series record 26-3 last meeting was in 2016-17 in Bloomington. IU won that game by a score of 71-58. That contest was the first round of the postseason Women's National Invitation Tournament (WNIT). The Cardinals have not defeated Indiana since March 3, 1978 on a neutral court.
Ball State vs. North Carolina (First-Ever Meeting)
Ball State vs. Southern Mississippi (First-Ever Meeting)
Ball State vs. Texas A&M (Texas A&M leads the all-time series record 1-0) Last meeting was in 1989-90 on Dec 29 on a neutral court resulting in a 81-74 loss for the Cardinals.
Ball State vs. Villanova (First-Ever Meeting)
