With the type of season the Cardinals have had, it seems like another milestone is lurking around the corner.
Wednesday's win gave Ball State University no less than a share of the Mid-American Conference West Division title and Saturday the team will attempt to wrap-up its first outright division title since 2001-02.
The Cardinals will play Eastern Michigan University for the West title while also trying to set a Mid-American Conference attendance record.
Ball State is currently two games ahead of Eastern Michigan in the West with two regular-season games left. Ball State coach Tracy Roller said it's a night-and-day difference between sharing a divisional title and owning the championship outright.
"I think that we've played well enough to deserve to have the title all our own," Roller said. "The 'only child' in me isn't very good about sharing. Hopefully our team takes that same mentality."
Ball State clinched no less than a share of the MAC West Division title with an 84-59 win against Central Michigan University Wednesday. The Cardinals will go for the title in front of what they hope is the largest crowd to ever watch a women's basketball game in the MAC. Ball State hopes to break the record of 5,660 fans that was set Feb. 24, 1996 when Western Michigan University lost 66-63 at the University of Toledo.
Roller said the marketing department has run advertisements on the radio and handed out flyers at men's basketball games in order to draw support.
"Our marketing department - Chris Taylor and Matt McCollester -¡- has done such a great job of getting the word out about this very special day," Roller said. "Everything marketing wise we could have done we've done."
The Cardinal's have a considerable way to go if they want to break that mark. Ball State's all-time attendance record is 4,030, which was set on Feb. 2, 2002 in an 80-61 victory against the Rockets.
This season, Ball State has seen a considerable jump in its attendance. The Cardinals averaged 855 fans per home game last season, which was seventh in the MAC. This year, the team has seen that number increase to 1,222 fans per home game, which is third in the conference.
Senior point guard Kelsey Corbin, who has started every game this season and averages 11.7 points and 4.5 assists per game, said she's enjoyed seeing the numbers in the stands go up.
"It's been neat to see the community really gather around us and support us throughout the year," Corbin said. "Our crowd brings the energy for us and makes us want to play that much harder."
The game will also serve as Ball State's senior night and the Cardinals will honor Corbin along with fellow seniors Tina Bolte and Becca Bajorek before the game.
Roller said the seniors have been invaluable to this season's success and the perfect way to send them out would be to break the MAC attendance record in the trio's final home game.
"It's going to be a special day with everything going on," Roller said. "I'm the lucky one because I went to all their houses and schools through the recruiting process. I've seen them mature and grow and become great ladies, great students and great representatives of our program."
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