Ball State University
Central Michigan University
Women's Basketball Looks to Get Back on the Winning Track at CMU Wednesday
February 25, 2025 | Women's Basketball
With four regular season league games remaining, the Cardinals still remain atop of the MAC standings
| Ball State Women's Basketball at Central Michigan | |
| Game 28 at Central Michigan | Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 6:30Â p.m. Live Stats | ESPN+Â | Listen |
| Tickets and Gameday Info | N/A |
| Game Notes and Media Info | Ball State | Central Michigan |
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Opening Tip:
- Wednesday's game against Central Michigan will mark the 91st time the teams have met, with the series record being tied, 45-45. The Cardinals have won eight of their last nine meetings against the Chippewas including a 72-61 victory in their last meeting at Worthen Arena on Jan. 4, 2025.
- With the win at Eastern Michigan on Feb 15 the Cardinals secured their spot in the 2025 MAC Tournament in Cleveland (March 12-15). This marks the 35th appearance in the MAC Tournament in program history. Ball State has advanced to Cleveland 23 out of the past 25 seasons. The Cardinals are 24-33 all-time in MAC Tournament play and have advanced to the MAC Tournament finals on six occasions. Ball State defeated Bowling Green in 2009 in the MAC Tournament Championship game. This is the 10th time in current head coach Brady Sallee's tenure the Cardinals have punched their ticket straight to the MAC Tournament in Cleveland.
- Ball State is looking to get back on the winning track after losing back-to-back games for the first time this season. The Cardinals fell at Toledo (77-63) on Feb. 22 and then against Kent State (60-54) on Feb. 22 in Worthen Arena. Despite the losses, the Cardinals still sit atop of the MAC standings with a 12-2 conference ledger.
- The Chippewas are looking for their third-straight win after beating Eastern Michigan (74-62) on Feb. 19 and Western Michigan (56-43) on Feb. 22. Central Michigan has improved since its first meeting against Ball State this season winning eight of its last 13 contests. With four games remaining, the Chippewas sit in seventh in the MAC standings.Â
- The Cardinals have been road warriors the past four years during Mid-American Conference action. Ball State owns a 34-11 (.767) ledger when playing league games on the road dating back to 2021 which was their best showing as the Cardinals went 9-1 that year.
- Ball State 13th-year head coach owns a 53-22 (.706) mark against DI schools from the state of Michigan dating back to his first season at the helm of the Cardinals in 2012-13.
- The Cardinals haven't lost in Mount Pleasant, Michigan., since the 2019-20 season. That year Ball State fell at Central Michigan by a score of 66-39 on Jan. 15, 2020.
The Possibility is Near:
With only four Mid-American Conference games left, Ball State remains atop of the league standings with a 12-2 MAC mark. The Cardinals are on pace to be crowned the MAC Regular Season Champions which hasn't been done since the 2002-03 season. It will mark only the third time in program history that the Ball State women's basketball team will have earned the regular season title the other year was in 2001-02. Â
Scouting CMU:
- The Chippewas picked up right where they left off last season as a MAC leader in rebounding. In NCAA I per-game rankings, CMU is ninth in rebounding margin (+10.0), 12th in offensive rebounding (15.8) and 13th in total rebounding (42.64)—all of which lead the MAC.
- Central Michigan has logged five 50-plus rebound games (Oakland, at Nevada, Concordia, Ohio, at Marshall) and 14 games with a double- digit advantage in the margins, six of which reached a margin of 20 (Concordia, Eastern Michigan, at Western Michigan, at Northern Illinois, Ohio, at Marshall).
- Second-year head coach Kristin Haynie was a member of CMU Hall of Famer Sue Guevara's staff from 2014-17. The Chippewas went 58-38 (36-18 MAC) in that time with two MAC West titles (2016, 2017), a MAC regular-season title (2017) and a trip to the MAC tournament final (2017).
