WBB Takes Momentum of 14-Game Winning Streak to NIU Wednesday in #MACtion

Ball State (20-2, 10-0 MAC) vs NIU (9-11, 3-6 MAC)

February 6, 2024 >> Convocation Center >>DeKalb, Ill.>> 7 pm ET

Opening Tip:
- The Ball State University women's basketball team continues to make history this season, holding a 20-2 overall record which is the best start in program history. The program reached 20 wins with its 97-66 victory over Ohio Saturday in Worthen Arena. With the win, the Cardinals remained undefeated in Mid-American Conference action (10-0) for the first time in program history.

- Ball State's current 14-game win streak is the longest in program history. The 14-game win streak is also the fourth longest this season among NCAA DI programs as of Feb. 6, 2024.

- Ball State has the fourth highest win percentage 20-2 (.909) in the country in NCAA DI women's basketball.

- The Cardinals have held a halftime lead in nine of their 10 Mid-American Conference games so far this season. Ball State is 9-0 in those contests.

- This will mark the 67th meeting in a series that began in 1982-83 when the Cardinals defeated the Huskies 86-83 on Jan. 26 in DeKalb, Ill. The Cardinals lead the all-time series record 42-24. The Cardinals fell to the Huskies in DeKalb in their last meeting on Feb. 18 by a score of 84-77.

- For the seventh time under 12th-year head coach Brady Sallee and the second season in a row, the Cardinals reached the 20-win plateau after Ball State's 97-66 defeat over Ohio University

Saturday afternoon in Worthen Arena. Sallee's 20-win seasons at Ball State are — 22-10 (2015-16), 21-11 (2016-17) 25-7 (2017-18), 21-10 (2019-20), 20-13 (2021-22), 26-9 (2022-23) and 20-2 (2023-24).

- Annie Rauch is nearing the 1,000 point plateau with 935 points. She needs 65 to reach the 1,000 point club. The last time three Ball State players scored a 1,000 points in the same season was Renee Bennett, Jill Morrison and Moriah Monaco in 2016-17. Both Nyla Hampton and Ally Becki reached 1,000 points at home against Toledo on Jan. 21.

In The Nation:
The Cardinals are getting noticed on a national level as Ball State has received 14 votes in the latest USA Today Sports Coaches Poll. Ball State also moved up to the 71st spot in the latest NCAA DI RPI rankings. Ball State is one of four teams in NCAA DI women's basketball that have won 14 or more games in a row. Ball State is also only one of 11 NCAA DI teams that remain undefeated in their respective conference play with an 10-0 mark in MAC action. The Cardinals are also one of 11 NCAA DI teams that have only two losses so far this season. The Cardinals only two losses this season came against national powerhouses No. 19 Notre Dame and No. 10 UConn. Ball State is the only MAC school to receive votes so far this season. Ball State also has the highest win percentage out of any NCAA DI program in the state of Indiana 20-2 (.909). This is the third week in a row the Cardinals have received votes.

MAC SBC Challenge:
The Mid-American Conference and Sun Belt Conference have introduced the MAC-SBC Challenge, a scheduling alliance in the sports of men's and women's basketball, to take place during the 2023-24 and 2024-25 seasons. The 12 MAC men's and women's basketball teams will face off against 12 Sun Belt teams in a pair of contests each year, with each game being carried on an ESPN platform.

Next Game:
Ball State returns will take a break from Mid-American Conference action on Super Bowl Sunday when it hosts James Madison for the second game of this seasons MAC-SBC Challenge. Tipoff is at 2 pm ET in Worthen Arena and will be aired live on the CBS Sports Network. It will also mark the first-ever meeting between Ball State and James Madison.