FSU Women’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University women’s basketball team will host Gannon this Thursday (Jan. 22) in a 6 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) tilt at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs will then battle Mercyhurst Saturday (Jan. 24) in a 1 p.m. (EST) league home contest.

Ticket Information: Individual game tickets to all FSU home basketball games can be obtained at the door or by calling the Bulldog Athletics Ticket Office at (231) 591-2888. Adult tickets are $7 and student tickets are $5. A family pass can be purchased for $15. Ferris State faculty/staff ticket prices are $5. FSU students are admitted free of charge by showing their student identification card.

Ferris Wins Two More: The Bulldogs, who are presently 11-5 overall and 6-1 in GLIAC action, edged Hillsdale 70-67 last Thursday (Jan. 15) in HC’s Jessie Philips Arena at Hillsdale, Mich. FSU then recorded an 83-65 league triumph over Wayne State Saturday (Jan. 17) at Wink Arena. Senior guard Lucy DeMartin (Mason) and sophomore guard Erin Miller (Niles) both scored 13 points, sophomore forward/center Darcie Philp (Ubly) totaled 11 points and senior forward/center Molly Potvin (Lansing/Catholic Central) chipped in 10 points at Hillsdale. Miller posted a game-high 19 points, DeMartin added 18 points while senior forward Stephanie Benear (Howell) along with Potvin both contributed 10 points versus WSU. Ferris is presently tied for first place in the GLIAC’s North Division standings.

Last Season: Ferris State concluded the 2002-03 campaign with a 15-11 overall mark, which included a fourth-place (tie) 10-8 GLIAC North Division finish. FSU reached the GLIAC Tournament for the fourth consecutive year and posted its seventh straight 10-win campaign a year ago.

The Bulldog Tradition: The Ferris State women’s basketball program, which is midst its 30th anniversary campaign, has compiled a 349-381 (.478) all-time mark. The Bulldogs won the GLIAC North Division crown, advanced to the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament and recorded the nation’s highest grade point average in 1999-2000. FSU, which also claimed GLIAC Tournament runner-up honors in 1999-00, has ranked among the nation’s top 25 academic teams four consecutive seasons.

Head Coach Tracey Fisk: Sixth-year FSU head coach Tracey Fisk presently ranks as Ferris’ all-time winningest coach with a current 96-56 (.632) career record at Ferris State. A 1996 graduate of Western Michigan, Fisk guided Ferris State to a 22-7 mark and the school's first NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament appearance during the 1999-00 campaign. Prior to FSU, Fisk spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Lake Michigan College (1994-97) and one season at the University of Indianapolis (1997-98). She is four victories shy of notching her 100th career coaching victory.

At Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 34-12 (.739) overall record to date in home contests at Jim Wink Arena, including a 27-11 (.711) mark in league play. The 2,400-seat facility replaced the Old Jim Wink Arena, which was converted into the current Student Recreation Center after the 1997-98 campaign. FSU won its first 14 games in the facility.

On The Road: Ferris State is 133-97 (.578) overall since 1995-96 and sports a 79-64 (.552) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 43-28 (.606) overall in road games under head coach Tracey Fisk, including a 29-20 (.592) record in conference play.

FSU Picked Third: Ferris was picked to finish third in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs totaled 26 points and one first-place vote in the balloting by the GLIAC’s head coaches. Grand Valley State was selected as the GLIAC North Division favorite while WSU took the South Division’s top spot.

Ferris Roster: Ferris’ 2003-04 roster includes four seniors, three juniors, three sophomores and three freshmen. Eleven players hail from Michigan with one each from Indiana and the Czech Republic.

FSU On The Internet: Ferris State Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The site features information on all of FSU’s varsity athletics programs including rosters, statistics and more. The Bulldogs’ 2003-04 yearbook is also available online.

Glancing At The Bulldogs: Ferris returns eight letterwinners and five starters from last season, including senior captains Lucy DeMartin, Stephanie Benear, Bridget Horwitz (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) and Molly Potvin. The Bulldogs’ added five newcomers. Horwitz is redshirting this season due to an injured thumb.

Preseason All-America: Ferris’ Lucy DeMartin was named to the 2003-04 Women’s Division II Bulletin Preseason Super 16 All-America Team. DeMartin, a 2002-03 Daktronics NCAA Division II All-Great Lakes Region First-Team selection, was also chosen as the publication’s preseason GLIAC Player of the Year. Her team-leading 20.2 points per game scoring average last season ranked first among the school’s all-time leaders and placed second in the GLIAC’s overall statistical rankings.

Not Even Close: The Bulldogs have registered eight of their 11 victories this campaign by five points or less and are unbeaten (8-0) in those contests. Ferris has won 11 of its last 12 such games dating back to last season.

Great Start: Ferris’ 6-1 league start this campaign marks the third time in head coach Tracey Fisk’s six seasons at the helm the Bulldogs have won six of their initial seven GLIAC outings. FSU posted a school-best 8-1 league start in 1999-00. Prior to Fisk’s arrival, the Bulldogs had never won six of their first seven GLIAC games.

Up Next: Ferris will host Northwood Thursday, Jan. 29, with conference tipoff set for 6 p.m. (EST) at Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.

GLIAC Games On The Air: Ferris’ 2003-04 league games will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM. Selected league contests can also be accessed live via the internet by clicking on the Bulldog Athletics Webcasts icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Bulldog Bites: Lucy DeMartin currently has 1,429 career points and needs 144 more to match Monta Ware's (1979-83) school-record output of 1,573 points. DeMartin, who presently has an active 47-game double-figure scoring streak, has 338 career made free throws to date and is seven away from tying Jodi Raab's (1989-93) school-record total of 345. The 5-9 DeMartin currently has 166 career steals and is one shy of matching Danielle Smith (167; 1987-91) for third place on the school's career leaders list ........ Erin Miller presently has reached double-figure scoring in 14 of her 16 contests this campaign. She is 22 points away from notching her 600th career point. Miller and DeMartin have combined to score 529 of the Bulldogs’ 1,234 points (43.0%) this campaign ........ Molly Potvin recorded her 400th career point at Hillsdale. She needs 11 additional rebounds to garner her 300th career board. Potvin has reached double-figure scoring in eight of her last nine games to date ........ The Bulldogs have recorded fewer turnovers than their opponents in seven of their last nine outings this campaign ...... Ferris has allowed 69.5 points per game in its 11 victories this season compared to 90.8 points per game in its five losses ...... The Bulldogs’ season-high nine blocked shots versus Wayne State were two shy of tying the school record of 11 blocks set against Oakland (2/6/86) ........ FSU head coach Tracey Fisk’s sister, former FSU volunteer assistant coach Andrea Bloodworth (1998-99), is in her second season as Gannon’s top assistant coach. Bloodworth spent the 2001-02 campaign as an assistant coach at Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) before joining the Knights last season.

Academic Success: The 2002-03 Bulldog squad was honored for having the nation’s second-highest (tie) cumulative grade point average in the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Division II Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll list. The Bulldogs, who placed among the top 25 teams for the fourth consecutive season, compiled a 3.604 gpa.

A Look At The Opponents:

Gannon: Ferris holds a 6-3 edge entering this Thursday’s meeting and has won five of the last seven series’ contests. However, Gannon claimed an 84-72 victory in the last meeting (12/5/02) at Erie, Pa. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk currently has a 4-2 career coaching record against the Knights. Gannon, which is coached by second-year head coach Cleve Wright, is presently 12-5 overall and 5-2 in GLIAC action after last Saturday’s (Jan. 17) 96-88 league home win over Northern Michigan in Erie. The Knights, who compiled a 12-14 overall record in 2002-03, were picked to finish second in the 2003-04 GLIAC South Division Preseason Coaches Poll following a third-place 8-9 GLIAC mark a season ago. Senior forward Katie Garms presently ranks as GU’s leading scorer (13.0 ppg). Gannon has split its last four outings to date this campaign.

Mercyhurst: The Bulldogs maintain a 7-2 series advantage heading into this Saturday’s contest and defeated Mercyhurst 74-68 in the last meeting (12/7/02) at Erie, Pa. MC is presently 0-14 overall and 0-7 in the GLIAC going into this Thursday’s (Jan. 22) league game at Grand Valley State as a result of dropping a 72-50 league home decision last Saturday (Jan. 17) to Michigan Tech at MC’s Athletic Center. Fisk presently has a 4-1 career coaching record against the Lakers. Mercyhurst, which is led in scoring by freshman guard/forward Julie Anderson (13.4 ppg), was 6-21 overall in 2002-03 and placed sixth in the GLIAC’s South Division with a 3-14 conference record. The Lakers were picked to finish sixth in this season’s South Division coaches poll. Third-year Mercyhurst head coach Kevin “Bo” Kuntz formerly served as a Bulldog assistant coach under head coaches Lori Hyman and Dana Munk from 1993-96.