With one win in the past five games, Ball State is going through one of its toughest stretches in the 2011-12 season.
After a tough 1-4 cross-divisional stretch, the Cardinals (8-16, 3-8) return to Western Divisional play with a 7 p.m. game at Northern Illinois.
The Cardinals and Huskies last met on Jan. 11 at Worthen Arena, with the Cardinals triumphing 50-43. Four players, including senior co-captain Suzanne Grossnickle and sophomores Brandy Woody, Jordan Huber and Jazmin Hitchens, reached double figures in scoring. Hitchens recorded a team-high 11 points.
Since then, Ball State has plummeted. The Cardinals dropped five consecutive games before defeating Kent State 75-56 on Feb. 1. When it looked as if they were going to put a winning streak together, the Cardinals dropped their next two games.
Northern Illinois (11-12, 5-6) has also had its share of ups-and-downs this season. The Huskies lost six in a row before defeating Western Michigan in Kalamazoo, Mich., 53-41 on Jan. 19. Since then, the Huskies have won four of their last six.
The Cardinals' offense has been unstable this season, and coach Kelly Packard emphasized the need for her post players to elevate their game in order to take the pressure off the guards.
"We've got to connect the dots with multiple people," Packard said. "We've got to have some of our play to compliment that. If we get one of our bigs to step up to the plate, we're going to have a complementary guard offensive game as well."
Grossnickle could be the answer to Packard's plea. The 6-foot-2 forward has tallied 54 points in her last four games, and will need to have another notable performance against the Huskies in order for the Cardinals to come away with a victory.
"She definitely has been playing well and I hope that has established confidence for her," Packard said of Grossnickle, prior to the Kent State game. "What she's done tremendously well for us is she's keeping the ball really high. She's taking her time and that's why she's [scoring]."
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