Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
South Dakota State University
Women's Basketball Wraps up Non-Conference Action Sunday at South Dakota State
December 13, 2025 | Women's Basketball
| Ball State at South Dakota State | |
| Game 12 at South Dakota State | Sunday, December 14 at 3 pm ET |
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| Game Notes and Media Info | Ball State | South Dakota State |
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Opening Tip:
Sunday's game marks only the second-ever meeting between the Cardinals and the Jack Rabbits. South Dakota State won the first meeting 63-55 in Worthen Arena on Dec. 1, 2024. Both squads won't its respective conference tournaments and competed in the NCAA Tournament last season. South Dakota earned a first round victory over Oklahoma State by a score of 74-68 before falling to UConn by a 91-57 decision.
1 Game Until Conference Play:
The Cardinals will wrap up non-conference action Sunday at South Dakota State before embarking on the 2025-26 Mid-American Conference portion of their schedule. Ball State ranks second in the conference standings currently with an 8-3 ledger behind UMass who owns a 7-1 record. The Cardinals are looking to defend their MAC regular season and tournament championship title with the start of league play.
Breaking Records:
The Cardinals had 69 rebounds as a team against Oakland City on Dec. 3. The 69 rebounds broke the program's single-game record. The old record was 67 which happened versus Cincinnati on March 11, 1976.
International Success:
The Cardinals have had plenty of international success under 14th year head coach Brady Sallee. We all remember Nathalie Fontaine the 6-2 guard from Stockholm, Sweden became Ball State's all-time leading scorer with 2,166 points. The 2016 MAC Player of the Year and AP honorable mention averaged 21.0 points per game and 10.2 rebounds while making over 50 percent of her shots. After Fontaine was Carmen Grande a native from Madrid, Spain who held onto the all-time assists record with 697 until Ally Becki surpassed her last season with 721 and we also cannot forget Thelma Dis Agustsdottir from Keflavik, Iceland who holds the all-time 3-point record with 325 treys. Agustsdottir also competed at the Celsius 3-point championship at the NCAA Tournament.
What's Next:
Ball State opens MAC play on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 11 am ET versus Eastern Michigan. The Cardinals are 8-5 in their Mid-American Conference openers under 14th year head coach Brady Sallee.
Scouting South Dakota State:
- SDSU senior Brooklyn Meyer was named the Summit League Peak Performer of the Week for the fourth time in the first five weeks of the season - the first Summit League player to do so since 2009-10. Meyer averaged 23.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and shot .667 over two wins.
- South Dakota State is shooting 48.6% from the floor as a team, which is 17th in the country. SDSU is eighth in fouls per game (12.8), sixth in defensive rebounds per game (31.9) and 25th in turnovers per game (12.9).
- SDSU had four players named to the Summit League's preseason teams. Brooklyn Meyer and Madison Mathiowetz were first-team honorees while Katie Vasecka and Maggie Hartwig landed on the second team.
- Head Coach Aaron Johnston owns a 531-164 DI record at South Dakota State and has won the Summit League Coach of the Year nine times.
