Ball State career points leaders
1. 2,091 Tamara Bowie, 2000-03
2. 1,870 Nathalie Fontaine, 2012-present
3. 1,843, Kate Endress, 2002-05
4. 1,708 Emily Maggert, 2007-11
5. 1,635 Johna Goff, 2001-04
Nathalie Fontaine scored 27 points and elevated to second-place in all-time scoring in Ball State women's basketball history during the Cardinals 76-54 victory against Eastern Michigan Jan. 20.
It was just business as usual for the senior guard as the Cardinals move onto 13-4 overall and 5-1 in the Mid-American Conference after knocking off the Eagles (12-5, 3-3 MAC).
Fontaine entered the game with 1,843 career points, tied for the second-highest mark in Ball State history. Her first basket put her ahead of former Cardinal Kate Endress (2002-05), leaving only Tamara Bowie’s 2,091 career points rank ahead of Fontaine’s 1,870.
Fontaine said she was unaware of her place on the leaderboard before the game.
“Right now, I just want a ring,” she said. “That’s my number one priority.”
After Toledo (9-8, 4-2 MAC) lost to Akron (10-7, 4-2 MAC) later that night, the Cardinals also took sole possession of first place in the MAC West Division.
All season long, head coach Brady Sallee said his top priorities were rebounding and points in the paint. Sallee said he was pleased after his team out-rebounded the Eagles, 44-34.
“Yeah it’s good, but we’ve been doing this all year,” he said. “So for us, we had to have the confidence that we’re gonna do it again.”
In fact, the Cardinals lead the MAC with an average rebounding margin of plus-6.7 rebounds per game.
Last year, however, that wasn’t the case when Eastern Michigan knocked Ball State out of the MAC Tournament in the semifinals, 75-65. Sallee said the Eagles’ 52-34 rebounding advantage was etched into his memory.
“I have a tattoo that says 52 to 34 across my chest so that I remember that every day,” he said. “That’s a joke, but that has stuck in all of our craws since it happened.”
Jan. 20, sophomore guard Frannie Frazier led Ball State with nine rebounds, and three other players hauled in at six or more individually.
As a whole, the Cardinals have have out-rebounded their opponents in 13 of their 17 games this season.
On top of her scoring performance, Fontaine hauled in eight rebounds against the Eagles and ranks second in the MAC with 9.9 rebounds per game.
She is also second in the MAC with 21.4 points per game and hasn’t been held to less than 10 points in a game since Dec. 21, 2014, when Western Kentucky limited the then-junior to seven points.
If her current 21.4 point per game pace holds, Fontaine is on pace to break Bowie’s career scoring record on Wed., March 2 against Northern Illinois in Worthen Arena.
Fontaine, however, said actively thinking about the record is counterintuitive.
“I think it’s always in the back of your mind, but you’ve really just gotta focus on games because when you think about it more, you just don’t play as good,” she said.
Despite the broken records and game-high scoring almost nightly, Sallee said she has room to improve.
“She actually finished with her left hand [against Eastern Michigan],” he said. “I told them after the game I about fell over and passed out when she finished with her left hand. But to her credit, she’s been in the gym with the assistants working on that exact move.”
Sallee also said Fontaine has thrived in a physical role for the Cardinals.
“She’s getting used to never getting any calls,” he said. “She’s getting used to just getting the tar beat out of her. Short of standing on my head and spitting fire, I don’t know what I can say.”
The attention Fontaine receives from the defense in the paint helps open up the perimeter for her teammates – junior guard Jill Morrison set two new career highs with seven three-point shots and seven assists against Eastern Michigan.
Sallee said he’s excited to see his team play against the other top teams in the MAC.
“I told them before the game, I’m almost jealous of you because you get to go out – two 12-4 teams – and you get to go out and see who’s better,” he said. “If that doesn’t pump your pistol, I don’t know what does.”
The opportunity to compete against another MAC school will come against Western Michigan on the road on Jan. 23.
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