Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
University of Massachusetts
Two of the Top #MACtion Teams Collide in Worthen Wednesday as WBB Looks to Remain Undefeated in League Play
January 20, 2026 | Women's Basketball
| Ball State vs UMass | #MACtion | |
| Game 19 vs. UMass | Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026 |
| Gameday Info | Live Stats | ESPN+ | Listen | Tickets | Roster Card |
| Game Notes and Media Info | Ball State | UMass |
| Social Media | X (Twitter) | Instagram | Facebook |
It's #MACtion Time:
- Wednesday's game against UMass will be the second-ever meeting
between the Cardinals and the Minute-women. Ball State and Brady Sallee own a 1-0 ledger against UMass as the Cardinals earned an 81-54 victory over the Minute-women on Nov. 28, 2015 in Boulder, Colo.
- In the Mid-American Conference preseason rankings the Cardinals were picked fourth with 112 points while the Minute-women had a slight edge over Ball State sitting at third with 115 points. Both squads also received votes to win the MAC tournament in Cleveland.
- Ball State is looking for its 14th-straight victory over a league opponent dating back to last season. The Cardinals haven't lost to a MAC squad since Feb. 22, 2025.
- It may be cold outside but the Cardinals tend to get hot in the month of January under 14th-year head coach Brady Sallee. Sallee owns an overall record of 81-29 (.727) in the month of January dating back to his first season in 2012-13.
Strong Shooting Under Sallee:
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. This season the Cardinals rank in the nation: 33rd in field goal percentage (46.0), 31st in field goal defense (36.3) and 51st in scoring margin (14.5).
Top Two in #MACtion:
Only two Mid-American Conference teams remain undefeated in league play; Ball State and league rival Miami both have started #MACtion off with a 6-0 ledger.
6-0 in the MAC:
The Cardinals have opened their Mid-American Conference season with a 6-0 ledger for the third-straight season and the fifth time in program history. Ball State has won 10-straight MAC regular season contests dating back to last year with its last lost coming against Kent State by a 60-54 decision on Feb. 22, 2025.
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.
Scouting UMass:
Since the University of Massachusetts officially joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) as a full member beginning on July 1, 2025, the Minute-women have started off strong early in conference play, holding a 5-1 overall MAC record with an average scoring margin of +9 points.
UMass currently ranks first in assist/turnover ratio (1.27), three point percentage defense (.262) and offensive rebounds per game (16.33).
Seven Minutewomen return from last year's squad in Taylor Derkack, Chinenye Odenigbo, Lilly Ferguson, Yahmani McKayle, Megan Olbrys, Allie Palmieri and Jess Ross. The team added six new players to the roster in the offseason. The newcomers consist of two transfers and four freshmen. Olbrys and McKayle earned Preseason All-MAC Second Team accolades.
In the Nation:
The Cardinals are ranked in the top 100 in the nation in 14 different stat categories: 4th in defensive rebounds (31.7), 5th in rebounds per game (45.28), 8th in rebound margin (12.1), 13th in assists per game (18.9), 31st in field goal percentage defense (36.3), 33rd field goal percentage (46.0), 34th scoring offense (78.4), 47th in winning percentage (77.8), 51st scoring margin (14.5), 65th assist/turnover ratio (1.05), 66th in free throw percentage (19.67), 74th in free throws made (13.72), 74th in three point attempts per game (23.1), 74th in three pointers per game (7.4) and 86th in offensive rebounds (13.6). Tessa Towers ranks 25th in the nation in field goal percentage (57.4) and 49th in double-doubles (6). Karsyn Norman ranks 48th in assists per game (4.9) and 52nd in assists (88). Gracey Kingery sits in 42nd in three-point percent (40.9) and 58th in 3-pointers per game (2.50).
