FSU At A Glance: The Ferris State University women’s basketball team will square off against Northwood Wednesday, Jan. 26, in a 6 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) contest at NU’s Bennett Sports Center in Midland, Mich. The game concludes a four-game road swing for the Bulldogs.

FSU Fourth In Division: FSU is currently 8-10 overall and 6-3 in league action, which ranks fourth in the GLIAC North Division standings to date. Michigan Tech (9-0) and Lake Superior State (9-0) are presently tied for the divisional lead with Grand Valley State (8-1) listed third. Ferris has won five of its last seven outings to date this season, including a current four-game winning streak.

Media Coverage: Wednesday’s game will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM with Rob Bentley providing the play by play coverage. It can also be accessed live via the internet by clicking on the Bulldog Athletics Webcast icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Ticket Information: Tickets for Wednesday’s game at Northwood University can be obtained by calling the Northwood Athletics Office at (989) 837-4381.

Ferris Claims Road Win: Ferris State rallied back from a nine-point halftime deficit to edge Mercyhurst 66-59 in GLIAC action Saturday (Jan. 22) at Erie, Pa. The Bulldogs trailed 33-24 at halftime in a game which was delayed approximately 25 minutes as the two teams waited for the game officials to arrive during a snowstorm. However, FSU outscored the Lakers 42-26 in the final half. The Bulldogs were led by sophomore guard Kristin Reinhart's (East Lansing) 15 points. Senior forward Sarah Duesing (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area) added 11 points for FSU. Ferris was 26-of-71 (36.6%) from the floor and forced 39 turnovers. Mercyhurst made 22-of-49 (44.9%) field goal attempts and held FSU to an 0-of-16 showing from three-point range.

FSU Defeats Gannon: Ferris defeated Gannon 74-69 in league play last Thursday (Jan. 20) in GU's Hammermill Center at Erie, Pa. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 43-33 halftime advantage and held on for the victory. GU, which entered the contest as the first-place team in the league's South Division, outscored FSU 36-31 in the second half. Ferris State was led by senior center Bridget Horwitz's (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) game-high 26 points. Kristin Reinhart chipped in 17 points along with seven assists and six rebounds.

A Look At The Bulldogs: FSU returns three starters and eight letterwinners from last season. The Bulldogs compiled a 21-10 overall record in 2003-04 and reached the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament for only the second time in school history. FSU placed second (14-4) in the GLIAC North Division and advanced to the GLIAC Tournament Championship game during the 2003-04 campaign. The Bulldogs also made their fifth consecutive conference tournament berth and recorded the program’s second-ever 20-win campaign last season. Ferris has posted seven-straight winning seasons to date.

Head Coach Tracey Fisk: Seventh-year FSU head coach Tracey Fisk presently ranks as Ferris’ all-time winningest coach with a current 114-71 (.616) career record at Ferris State. A 1996 graduate of Western Michigan, Fisk guided FSU to a 22-7 mark and the school's first NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament appearance during the 1999-00 campaign. Prior to Ferris, 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 needs four victories to match Pat Dolan’s (1977-89) school-record total of 118 wins at Ferris State.

The Bulldog Tradition: The Ferris State women’s basketball program, which is midst its 31st season of varsity competition, has compiled a 367-396 (.481) all-time mark. The Bulldogs won their only GLIAC crown, advanced to their first 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 posted 10 or more victories eight consecutive seasons to date.

Jim Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 42-15 (.737) overall record to date in games at Jim Wink Arena, including a 34-13 (.723) 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 151-111 (.576) overall since 1995-96 and sports an 89-76 (.539) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 50-38 (.568) overall in road games under head coach Tracey Fisk, including a 36-24 (.600) record in GLIAC play.

The Bulldog Roster: Ferris’ 2004-05 roster includes three seniors, three juniors, two sophomores and five freshmen. Five of the 13 players are guards while the remaining eight are frontcourt players. Eleven players hail from Michigan with one each from Indiana and the Czech Republic.

FSU Picked Second: Ferris was picked to finish second in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The Bulldogs totaled 32 points along with three first-place votes in the balloting conducted by the conference's head coaches. Lake Superior State was selected as the North Division favorite as the Lakers recorded 33 points and four first-place votes. Ashland took the top spot in the South Division with 24 points. Each of the league’s 13 head coaches ranked the teams in their respective divisions, but were not allowed to vote for their own team.

Academic Success: The 2003-04 Bulldog squad was honored for having the nation’s 17th-highest 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 fifth consecutive season, compiled a 3.384 grade point average in 2003-04. FSU, which previously compiled the nation’s highest gpa (3.534) in 1999-00, also finished 21st (3.313) in 2001-02 and was 20th (3.388) for the 2000-01 academic year. Ferris’ 3.604 gpa in 2002-03 placed tied for second.

Between The Lines: FSU head coach Tracey Fisk will make periodic appearances throughout the season on “Between The Lines,” a weekly half-hour television show devoted to Ferris State Athletics. The program, which is hosted by Shannon Vesper and produced by FSU’s media productions department, airs each Tuesday and Wednesday at 7 p.m. (ET) and 8 p.m. (ET), respectively, on FSU’s Cable Channel 7.

Live Statistics: “Live Stats” of all remaining 2004-05 FSU men’s and women’s basketball home contests will be provided in progress via the internet. Visit www.ferris.edu/sports and click on the “Live Stats” icon for more information regarding the feature.

Bulldog Bites: Kristin Reinhart notched her 500th career point at Gannon ...... Senior guard/forward Lucie Cenkova (Prague, Czech Republic) tallied her 200th career point at Mercyhurst while Sarah Duesing garnered her 300th career rebound in the same outing. Duesing is presently eight points shy of picking up her 500th career point ....... Bridget Horwitz totaled her 650th career rebound at Mercyhurst. Horwitz had her 14-game double-figure scoring streak snapped with four points at MC ........ Sarah Duesing’s current .963 (26-27) free throw percentage in league games ranks as the GLIAC’s best performance this season.

FSU Team Notes: Ferris has recorded 10 or more steals seven times in its last nine outings this season after having done so only once in its initial nine games this campaign ...... The Bulldogs have presently outrebounded their opponents in six of the last eight contests this season ...... Ferris improved to 9-2 all-time versus Mercyhurst with Saturday's victory. The Bulldogs have defeated Gannon seven of the last nine times to date after last Thursday's win ...... Ferris has presently emerged victorious in three-straight league road contests this year ....... Thirteen of FSU's 18 games this season have been decided by 10 points or more .......... Ferris has allowed 63.0 points per game in its eight victories this season compared to 84.4 points per game in its 10 losses ........... The Bulldogs have averaged 77.8 points per contest in their eight wins this campaign, but only 63.0 points an outing in 10 defeats ........ Ferris State ranks first among the GLIAC’s conference-only statistical leaders in rebounding offense (42.1 rpg).

Close To Home: Ferris previously played two games this season inside NU’s Bennett Sports Center at Midland, Mich. The Bulldogs defeated Northern Kentucky 67-54 (Dec. 30) and then fell to Southern Indiana 82-81 (Dec. 31) in the GLIAC/Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Classic hosted by Northwood. FSU also took part in the event last season and finished with a 1-1 mark.

Home Stretch: FSU will play six consecutive games at home to begin the month of February. Six of the Bulldogs’ remaining nine outings this season are in Big Rapids. The Bulldogs have currently played 13 of their last 14 contests away from home entering Wednesday’s outing at Northwood.

The Family Always Wins: FSU head coach Tracey Fisk improved to 3-1 all-time in games versus her younger sister Andrea Bloodworth with Thursday’s win at Gannon. Bloodworth, who previously served as a FSU volunteer assistant coach in 1998-99, is currently in her third season as Gannon’s top assistant coach. She spent the 2001-02 campaign as an assistant coach at Armstrong Atlantic State (Ga.) before joining the Knights in 2002-03.

FSU On The Internet: Ferris State University Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The site features rosters, statistics and more. The Bulldogs’ 2004-05 yearbook is also online.

Looking Ahead: Ferris State returns home to face Michigan Tech Thursday, Feb. 3, in a 6 p.m. (EST) league encounter at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. The Bulldogs will then host Northern Michigan Saturday, Feb. 5, in a 12 p.m. (EST) GLIAC game and square off against rival Grand Valley State Monday, Feb. 7, in a 6 p.m. (EST) league home contest.

A Look At The Opponent:

Northwood: The Bulldogs maintain a 35-12 advantage heading into this Wednesday’s 48th series meeting. FSU has won 17 consecutive series’ games and beat NU 64-55 in the last meeting (2/21/04) at Midland, Mich. NU is presently 7-10 overall and 3-5 in the GLIAC following last Saturday’s (Jan. 22) 75-72 league home loss to Wayne State. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk presently has a 12-0 career coaching record against the Timberwolves, who have lost six of their last eight games this campaign to date. Northwood, which is led in scoring by junior guard Maureen Elliott (13.2 ppg), was 5-21 overall in 2003-04 and placed seventh (0-18) in the GLIAC’s North Division. The Timberwolves, who are guided by first-year head coach Jeff Curtis, were picked to finish seventh in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. Ferris State is 19-4 (home), 16-7 (road) and 0-1 (neutral) all-time to date versus Northwood. Former Bulldog player Jennifer Brogger (1999-02), who scored 626 points and grabbed 247 rebounds during her FSU career, presently is midst her first season as a Northwood assistant coach after concluding her collegiate career at Saginaw Valley State.