Ball State University
Central Michigan University
Women's Basketball Returns to Worthen Arena Saturday in #MACtion Against CMU
January 03, 2025 | Women's Basketball
Ball State (9-4, 1-0 MAC) vs. Central Michigan (4-8, 0-1 MAC)
Jan. 4, 2025 >>Worthen Arena>>1 pm ET>>Muncie, Ind.
Opening Tip:
- Saturday's game against Central Michigan will mark the 90th time the teams have met, with the Chippewas leading the all-time series record 45-44. The Cardinals have won seven of their last eight meetings against the Chippewas including a 78-54 victory in their last meeting at Worthen Arena on Feb. 21, 2024.
- The Cardinals opened MAC play Wednesday as they ran in the New Year with a 68-55 win against the Miami RedHawks in Oxford, Ohio. Ally Becki led the squad with 22 points while true freshman Grace Kingery wasn't too far behind Becki as she turned in an 18-point performance.
- Ball State rings in the New Year after a successful 2024 campaign. The Cardinals went 24-6 in 2024 while ending the non-conference season with an 8-4 mark. BSU turned in an impressive performance to close out this non-conference season as the Cardinals wrapped up the 2024 year with an awe-inspiring 112-35 victory over Anderson University on Dec 19. The 112 points was also a program record for the largest margin of victory. The old record was 61 points against Taylor with Ball State winning that contest 106-45 on Jan. 28, 1975.
- Central Michigan fell to Buffalo 81-55 in its league opener Wednesday in Buffalo, NY. The  Chippewas were led by Demetria Prewitt who scored 15 points while Jess Lawson finished the game with 10 points.
- The Chippewas have not beating the Cardinals in Worthen Arena since the 2018-19 season. That year Central Michigan defeated Ball State 81-64 on Feb. 27, 2019.
- The Cardinals are 17-1 at home in conference play from 2022-23 to present. The last time Ball State lost at home in league action was against Toledo on Feb. 25, 2023 by a 72-70 decision. Ball State is riding a nine game home MAC win streak into Saturday's contest versus CMU.
- Grace Kingery isn't playing like a freshman anymore with a current national ranking of 14 in 3-point percentage (45.5).
Sallee is Hot in January:
It may be cold outside but the Cardinals tend to get hot in the month of January under 13th-year head coach Brady Sallee. Sallee owns an overall record of 69-29 (.701) in the month of January dating back to his first season in 2012-13.
9-1 at the Half:
The Cardinals own an 9-1 ledger when Ball State ends the first half with the lead. The lone loss came against Columbia University as the Cardinals had a 31-25 edge against the Jack Rabbits at halftime on Nov. 25, 2024 in the last game of the Battle 4 Atlantis.Â
Lachelle Austin Nearing 1,000 Career Points:
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 six of the Cardinals' seven contests thus far this season. Austin for her career has 934 points and needs just 59 to reach 1,000.
Scouting CMU:
- Central Michigan dropped its Mid-American Conference opener, 81-55, at undefeated Buffalo on New Year's Day, marking the first loss in program history on the first of a new year in four attempts, tying the all-time series with the Bulls.
- Ball State can tie the third-longest winning streak of the series for either team with a win Saturday. BSU's longest streak, 11 wins, was marked between 2000-06; the longest streak by either program in the series' history, 12 games, was set by CMU from 1983-1988.
- The series is tied, 40-40, in MAC regular season affairs. CMU leads 21-18 in January meetings, 19-17 on Saturdays while BSU holds a 29-19 record at home.
- Central Michigan welcomes 10 new players to the program this season.
