Ball State University
IU Indy
Women's Basketball Heads South on I-69 to take on IU Indy Sunday
November 06, 2025 | Women's Basketball
| Ball State at IU Indy | Nov. 9 | 1 pm ET | The Jungle | |
| Game 2 at IU Indy | Sunday, November 9 at 1 pm ET |
| Gameday Info | Live Stats | ESPN+ | Listen |
| Game Notes and Media Info | Ball State | IU Indy |
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Preseason Notes:
- The Ball State women's basketball team was picked fourth in the 2025-26 Mid-American Conference preseason poll. The Cardinals were also recognized as one of the favorites to win the tournament again this season.
- Ball State is coming off another historic season under 14th-year head coach Brady Sallee. The Cardinals return four players from the 2024-25 MAC regular season and tournament title squad. Last year's team made the programs second-ever appearance at the NCAA Tournament and ended the year with a 27-8 overall record.
- The Cardinals welcome back junior Tessa Towers, along with sophomores Zuri Ransom and Grace Kingery. All three logged minutes to help last year's championship team achieve their goals. Junior Ashlynn Brooke will re-enter the lineup as well after recovering from an injury that occurred in 2024.
- The additions to this year's team include transfers Karsyn Norman and Bree Salenbien. The Cardinals also bring in true freshmen Zhen Verburgt, Violeta Rojas, Alba Caballero, Giorgia Gorini, Brooke Winchester, Aniss Tagayi and Laura Martinez.
- Ball State was picked 11th in the College Insider Women's Mid Major Top 25 poll. Only two teams from the Mid-American Conference made the top 25 the only other school was Kent State which was tabbed 10th.
Strong Schedule: Just like in years past, Brady Sallee and his staff have put together a challenging non-conference schedule which features four teams that competed in the 2025 NCAA Tournament; Arkansas State, Cincinnati, Louisville and South Dakota State.
It's GAMEDAY:
- Ball State and IU Indy (IUPUI) have met 11 times, with the Cardinals leading the all-time series, 9-2.
- The Cardinals have won their last four meetings including a victory in Muncie last year by a score of 89-63.
- You will see some familiar faces on the Jaguars' roster Hailey and Olivia Smith along with Sydney Bolden who all transferred this year from BSU.
Sallee Strong: Brady Sallee is known for developing his players into strong shooters,over the years. In the last two seasons the Cardinals have ranked in the top 75 nationally in offense. In 2023-24 the Cardinals were 53rd in offense averaging 72.7 points per game while in 2024-25 Ball State finished the year ranked 72nd averaging 72.5 points per game.
Game WON:
- The Ball State women's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season with a 68-66 victory at Arkansas State Monday night in First National Bank Arena.
- Ball State placed three in double-digit scoring led by Grace Kingery with 15 while Karsyn Norman chipped in 14 points and Zhen Verburgt tallied 13. Defensively, the Cardinals were led by Bree Salenbien with 12 rebounds.
- Ball State outrebounded Arkansas State, 52-39.
Scouting IU Indy:
The IU Indy women's basketball team had an impressive showing against Big Ten foe Northwestern, narrowly falling 67–64 Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
- Five players scored in double figures E'Zaria Adams (13 pts), Destini Craig (13 pts), Sydney Bolden (11 pts) along with Hailey and Olivia Smith (10 pts piece.
- The Jaguars have two games already under their belt as they beat Indiana State on Nov. 3 by a 67-64 decision in The Jungle.
What's Next:
The Cardinals return home for their first game in Worthen Arena on Wednesday when Ball State hosts Northern Kentucky at 6:30 pm ET. This marks the fourth meeting between Ball State and Northern Kentucky. Behind Grace Kingery's 23-point performance, the Cardinals were able to bring home the 71-44 road victory last year on Dec. 15, 2024 against Northern Kentucky.
