After capping January off with a win, the Ball State women's basketball team will look to open the month of February in the same fashion on Saturday against the Northern Illinois Huskies.
"We didn't play very well at the very beginning of the season," senior Johna Goff said. "So hopefully now that we're clicking and we got hard teams, we're going to be able to do some damage."
The Cardinals, who closed the month of January with a 72-65 win against Central Michigan, have had one week to prepare for the month of February, which features six games, four of which are on the road. Every game will prove vital for the Cards, who are in fierce West division battle. Ball State (11-9 overall, 6-3 Mid-American Conference) is in a three-way tie for second place in the West division with Eastern Michigan and Toledo, who are all behind division-leading Western Michigan. Northern sits in sixth place in the West with its 4-5 league record.
"If we start thinking about who's where in the conference, then we're going to get sidetracked," Goff said. "So right now we're just worried about getting this game."
For the Cardinals, the game will be a tough defensive test against what head coach Tracy Roller called a strong and athletic team, especially in the post.
"Definitely our post position on a whole has got to play well defensively for us to even have a chance," Roller said. "It's not going to be like one post against their post. It's going to be a team effort."
The game will feature two of the best rebounders in the league. Senior Jessica Reiter, who leads the MAC and ranks 13th nationally in rebounding with 11 rebounds a game, will face Huskies senior Jennifer Youngblood, who ranks third in the MAC with her 9.5 rebounds per game. Youngblood is also tied for team honors in scoring with senior Lindsay Secrest. Both average 10.4 points.
"It's going to be a struggle for us on defense," Reiter said. "We just have to come out hard and be strong in the post and not let them do what they want to do. We just have to dictate them."
The Cards' offense, which has a league-high 44.1 field goal percentage, will also face a tough task against Northern's defense, which ranks fifth in the MAC. They top the MAC in field goal percentage defense (.371) and are second in 3-point field goal percentage defense (.283). They will face Kate Endress and Goff, who continue to lead the Cards offensively. Both are averaging scoring in double figures, with 19.3 and 13.5 points, respectively.
"If we work the ball and really work for a good shot," Roller said,"even though they do play good defense, we should be OK."
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