FSU Women’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University women’s basketball team visits Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this weekend (Feb. 5-8) for two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounters. The Bulldogs will visit Michigan Tech this Thursday (Feb. 5) for a 5:30 p.m. (EST) game at MTU’s Student Development Complex Gymnasium in Houghton, Mich. Ferris will then face Northern Michigan Sunday (Feb. 8) with tipoff set for 1 p.m. (EST) in NMU’s Berry Events Center at Marquette, Mich.

Ferris In First: FSU is presently 14-5 overall and holds a first-place 9-1 mark in the GLIAC’s North Division. Three of Ferris’ final eight outings this campaign are at home. The Bulldogs have won their last six games to date this season. Ferris is currently ranked second in the latest (Jan. 27) NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Rankings.

FSU Wins Again: The Bulldogs recorded a 79-53 league home win over Northwood last Thursday (Jan. 29) at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. Senior forward/center Molly Potvin (Lansing/Catholic Central) recorded a game-high 16 points and 11 rebounds. Junior forward Sarah Duesing (Sault Ste. Marie) added 15 points while sophomore guard Erin Miller (Niles) and senior guard Lucy DeMartin (Mason) both scored 12 points. FSU jumped out to a 44-19 halftime advantage.

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 352-381 (.480) 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 99-56 (.639) 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 one victory shy of notching her 100th career coaching victory.

On The Road: Ferris State is 136-97 (.584) 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.

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 (Howell), 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.

Best Mark Ever: Ferris State's current 9-1 league start this campaign ranks as the school's best conference start ever. FSU previously began league play with an 8-1 record en route to the school’s only GLIAC North Division championship in 1999-00.

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.

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 placed among the top 25 teams for the fourth consecutive season with a 3.604 gpa.

Between The Lines: “Between The Lines”, a weekly television program profiling Ferris State University Athletics, airs across northern Michigan on WFQX-Fox 33 every Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (ET). The 30-minute program is hosted by Phill Mooney and produced in the studios of the University’s cable Channel 7. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk will make appearances throughout the season. The show is also aired locally on the University's cable Channel 7 every Tuesday (7 p.m.) and Wednesday (8 p.m.).

Up Next: Ferris returns home to host Saginaw Valley State Thursday, Feb. 12, in a 6 p.m. (EST) league tilt at Wink Arena. FSU then travels back to the Upper Peninsula to square off against Lake Superior State Saturday, Feb. 14, at Sault Ste. Marie, Mich. The GLIAC contest is scheduled for a 1 p.m. (EST) start.

Close Calls: The Bulldogs have registered eight of their 14 victories this campaign by five points or less and are unbeaten (8-0) in those contests.

Bulldog Bites: Lucy DeMartin currently has 1,474 career points and needs 99 more to match Monta Ware's (1979-83) school-record output of 1,573 points. DeMartin, who presently has an active 50-game double-figure scoring streak, became the school's all-time leader in made free throws by sinking three-of-four attempts versus Northwood. DeMartin now has 347 career made free throws ....... Erin Miller presently has reached double-figure scoring in 17 of her 19 contests this campaign. Miller and DeMartin have combined to score 624 of the Bulldogs’ 1,483 points (42.1%) this campaign ....... The Bulldogs have presently won 16-straight series' meetings with Northwood following last Thursday's win. NU's last series victory came in 1994-95 ....... Molly Potvin has reached double-figure scoring in 11 of her last 12 outings to date. She needs 42 points to garner her 500th point ........ The Bulldogs have recorded fewer turnovers than their opponents in 10 of their last 12 contests this campaign ...... Ferris has allowed 66.7 points per game in its 14 victories this season compared to 90.8 points per game in its five losses ....... FSU’s current six-game winning streak is the school’s longest since winning seven-straight in the 2000-01 season (11/30-12/20) ..... Stephanie Benear registered her 400th career point versus Northwood ...... Ferris head coach Tracey Fisk played her final season of collegiate basketball at Northern Michigan under current NMU head coach Mike Geary during the 1993-94 campaign. She led the Wildcats in both three-point field goals (54) and assists (131) following three seasons at NCAA Division I Illinois State.

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.

A Look At The Opponents:

Michigan Tech: The Huskies maintain a 29-17 lead and have won five of the last six series’ encounters entering this Thursday’s 47th meeting. MTU beat FSU 72-66 in the last meeting (2/22/03) held at Houghton, Mich. MTU is presently 11-7 overall and 6-4 in the GLIAC following last Saturday’s (Jan. 31) 62-55 conference loss at Lake Superior State. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk presently has a 2-8 career coaching record against the Huskies, who have won two of their last three games to date. Michigan Tech, which is led in scoring by senior forward Andrea Novak (19.6 ppg), was picked to finish fifth in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The Huskies, who are guided by first-year head coach John Barnes, were 15-13 overall during the 2002-03 campaign and compiled a fourth-place tying 10-8 GLIAC North Division record.

Northern Michigan: NMU holds a 35-13 series’ advantage and has won four of the last five meetings heading into this Sunday’s 49th encounter. Fisk currently has a 3-8 career coaching mark against Northern Michigan and led Ferris to a 90-85 triumph in the last contest (2/20/03) between the two teams at Marquette, Mich. NMU, which is directed by 15th-year head coach Mike Geary, presently is 14-4 overall and 6-4 in the GLIAC heading into this Thursday’s (Feb. 5) conference home game versus Grand Valley State after last Saturday’s (Jan. 31) 82-68 league loss at Saginaw Valley State. The Wildcats, who have lost three of their last five games to date, compiled a 16-10 overall record in 2002-03 and placed third (12-6) in the GLIAC’s North Division. NMU, which was picked to finish second in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by junior guard Tiffany Grubaugh (20.1 ppg). Senior guard Emily Samuelson of Reed City, Mich., is averaging 14.3 points per game for the Wildcats.