Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Eastern Michigan University
MAC Powerhouse Ball State Eyes 10th Straight Win Over Eastern Michigan on the Road Tuesday
February 09, 2026 | Women's Basketball
| Ball State at Eastern Michigan | #MACtion | |
| Game 25 at Eastern Michigan | Tuesday, Feb. 10, 2026 |
| Gameday Info | Live Stats | ESPN+ | Listen |
| Game Notes and Media Info | Ball State | Eastern Michigan |
| Social Media | X (Twitter) | Instagram | Facebook |
It's #MACtion Time:
- Wednesday's game against Eastern Michigan will mark the 95th time in program history the two schools have met with the Cardinals leading the all-time series record, 49-45. Head coach Brady Sallee holds an overall record of 20-9 against Eastern Michigan from 2012-13 to present.
- Ball State head coach Brady Sallee is the longest tenured coach in the Mid-American Conference for women's basketball. Sallee is in his 14th season in the MAC and owns a 169-77 (.686) overall record in league action.
- The Cardinals typically carry on their success throughout the month of February in preparation for the Mid-American Conference Tournament. Under head coach Brady Sallee the Cardinals own a 63-39 (.605) record in February with his best season being in 2019-20 as Ball State posted a 7-1 ledger that year.
- In their Mid-American Conference opener at Worthen Arena, Ball State secured a narrow 78-74 win against Eastern Michigan on Dec. 20. The victory extended the Cardinals' regular-season winning streak over the Eagles to nine games. Coach Sallee's squad continues to thrive in Ypsilanti, maintaining a road winning streak against EMU that dates back to a 61-58 loss in early 2020.
MAC Play Outlook for the Next Eight Games:
While BSU's only MAC loss has came against Miami (OH) (current leader at 10-0), the Cardinals have secured critical wins against other top contenders like Toledo (72-68) and Kent State (101-91). Their ability to win close games was highlighted recently by a thrilling 87-86 victory over Troy in the MAC-SBC Challenge on February 7, secured by a late three-pointer from freshman Zhen Verburgt. With the win, the Cardinals are 5-1 in the MAC-SBC Challenge. With only eight regular season contests remaining, the Cardinals are set to play at EMU Tuesday before hosting Bowling Green on Saturday, Feb. 14 at 11 am ET. BSU will then play at Buffalo (Feb. 18) before a rematch against the RedHawks (Feb. 21). The Cardinals will then close out the regular season versus Akron (Feb. 25), Ohio (Feb. 28) and Toledo (Mar. 7).
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: 24th in field goal percentage (46.3), 51st in field goal defense (37.2) and 24th in scoring offense (78.7).
Road Warriors:
Under head coach Brady Sallee the Cardinals have played well on the road for the last 14 years under his watch. The Cardinals are 120-77 (.599) from 2012 until present on the road. Ball State's best season playing away from home was in 2020-21 when the Cardinals posted an 11-2 mark. Ball State is 9-3 this season on the road including neutral site games.
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 Eastern Michigan:
- The Eastern Michigan Eagles (11–11, 4–7 MAC) are currently in the second season of the Sahar Nusseibeh era and have shown significant improvement, already surpassing their 2024–25 win total (2) by eight victories. Most recently, the Eagles secured a 76–73 overtime upset against Arkansas State on February 7, 2026, in the MAC-SBC Challenge.
- Eastern Michigan's current 11–11 record is tied for the second-largest win improvement in the nation compared to last season's 2–27 finish.
- The Eagles have gone 4–6 in their last 10 games, shooting 45.2% from the field during that stretch.
- Sisi Eleko leads the Eastern Michigan Eagles in scoring, averaging 18.0 points per game. She is closely followed by freshman Peyton Hill, who has become a major offensive contributor with 14.9 points per game and recently recorded a season-high 28 points in a win against Arkansas State on February 7, 2026.
