FSU At A Glance: The Ferris State University women’s basketball team will travel to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula this weekend for two Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) road contests. FSU visits Northern Michigan Thursday, Feb. 24, for a 5:30 p.m. (EST) game in Marquette, Mich. Ferris will then conclude the regular-season Saturday, Feb. 26, versus Michigan Tech in a 1 p.m. (EST) contest at Houghton, Mich.

FSU Fourth In Division: FSU is currently 11-14 overall and 9-7 in league action, which ranks fourth in the GLIAC North Division standings to date. Grand Valley State (15-1) and Lake Superior State (15-1) are currently tied for the divisional lead with Michigan Tech (13-3) listed third. Ferris has won eight of its last 14 outings to date this season, including seven of its last 11 contests.

Ferris Earns Berth: Ferris has clinched its sixth consecutive and seventh overall GLIAC Tournament berth. FSU has posted a 5-6 (.455) record in six previous tournament bids, including runner-up finishes in 1999-00 and 2003-04. The top three teams from each division plus the next two best overall teams advance to the GLIAC Tournament. The quarterfinals will be held on campus sites Tuesday, March 1, with the highest remaining seed selected to host the semifinals/finals Friday and Saturday, March 4-5. FSU will hit the road in the opening round of the GLIAC Tournament against an opponent yet to be determined depending upon this week's league results. The official parings and game times will be released by the league office this weekend.

Media Coverage: Both of FSU’s games this weekend will be carried live by local radio station WBRN-1460 AM with Rob Bentley providing the play by play action. They can also be accessed live via the internet by clicking on the Bulldog Athletics Webcasts icon at www.ferris.edu/sports.

Ticket Information: Tickets for Thursday’s game at Northern Michigan can be obtained by contacting the NMU Athletics Department at (906) 227-1826. The Michigan Tech Athletics Department can be reached by calling (906) 487-3070 for ticket information regarding Saturday’s game.

FSU Beats Northwood: Ferris State concluded a six-game homestand by defeating Northwood 92-84 in conference play Saturday (Feb. 19) at FSU's Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich. FSU won its regular-season home finale with the victory. Four Bulldog players reached double-digit scoring. Senior forward/center Bridget Horwitz (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) compiled 24 points, freshman forward/center Rachel Folcik (Powers/Carney-Nadeau) registered a double-double with 22 points along with 10 rebounds, senior guard/forward Lucie Cenkova (Prague, Czech Republic) scored 18 points and senior forward Sarah Duesing (Sault Ste. Marie/Sault Area) totaled 14 points in addition to nine boards. The Bulldogs shot 48.6% (34-70) and made 18-of-19 (94.7%) free throws.

Bulldog Seniors Honored: Saturday’s game versus Northwood marked Ferris' annual Senior Day contest as Lucie Cenkova, Sarah Duesing and Bridget Horwitz were honored following their final regular-season home contests at Wink Arena.

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 117-75 (.609) career record at Ferris State. She needs one more victory to match Pat Dolan’s (1977-89) school-record total of 118 wins 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).

The Bulldog Tradition: The Ferris State women’s basketball program, which is midst its 31st season of varsity competition, has compiled a 370-400 (.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 nine consecutive seasons to date.

Jim Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 44-19 (.698) overall record to date in games at Jim Wink Arena, including a 36-17 (.679) 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 154-115 (.572) overall since 1995-96 and sports a 90-76 (.542) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 51-38 (.573) overall in road games under head coach Tracey Fisk, including a 37-24 (.607) record in GLIAC play.

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 team.

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.

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.

FSU On The Web: Ferris State University Athletics’ official web site can be found at www.ferris.edu/sports. The Bulldogs’ 2004-05 yearbook is also available online.

Bulldog Bites: Bridget Horwitz currently ranks fourth on the school’s all-time scoring leaders list. Horwitz, who presently has 1,366 points, surpassed former Bulldog player Monta Ware (1979-83) and moved into fifth-place on FSU's career rebounding chart versus Northwood. She needs 12 rebounds to notch her 700th career board ...... Junior guard/forward Kelly McLaughlin (Clare) is presently three points shy of registering her 200th career point ........... Lucie Cenkova has scored 10 points or more in five of her last six games to date. She garnered her 300th career point against Northwood ........... Rachel Folcik recorded her third double-double effort this season by scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds versus the Timberwolves ............. Bridget Horwitz has 563 career field goals to date and ranks fourth all-time at Ferris State. She has presently notched 21 double-figure scoring outings this campaign ............ Sarah Duesing’s current .837 (72-86) free throw percentage this season ranks eighth on the school’s single-season leaders list.

More Bulldog Bites: FSU has recorded 10 or more steals 11 times in its last 16 outings this season after having done so only once in its initial nine games this campaign .............. Seventeen of Ferris’ 25 games this campaign have been decided by 10 points or more ....... The victory over Northwood was Ferris' 19th consecutive win over the Timberwolves. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk currently is 14-0 in her head coaching career versus NU ..... The Bulldogs have registered a higher field goal percentage than their opponet in four consecutive games to date this season.

Key FSU Notes: The Bulldogs registered their ninth consecutive 10-win campaign this season ....... The Bulldogs are averaging 12.1 steals per game in their 11 victories this season compared to only 7.1 steals a contest in 14 defeats ....... Ferris ranks first among the GLIAC’s conference-only leaders in assists (18.38 apg) this campaign ......... FSU has registered 20 or more assists nine times in its last 11 outings to date this season.

On Campus Again: The GLIAC Tournament remains on campus sites this season for the third year in a row. Prior to the 2002-03 season, the four previous GLIAC women’s tournaments were held at a neutral site location, with the final three taking place at the DeltaPlex in Grand Rapids, Mich.

NCAA Regional Info: The winner of this season’s GLIAC Tournament will receive the league’s automatic berth into the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament slated for March 11-14 at a site to be determined. Eight teams, including six at-large squads, will participate in the regional with the official announcement set to be released Sunday, March 6.

A Look At The Opponents:

Northern Michigan: NMU holds a 37-14 series advantage and has won six of the last eight meetings heading into this Thursday’s 52nd encounter. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk currently has a 4-10 career coaching mark against Northern Michigan and dropped an 82-69 decision in the last meeting (2/5/05) between the two teams at Big Rapids, Mich. NMU, which is directed by 16th-year head coach Mike Geary, presently is 14-10 overall and 7-9 in the GLIAC after Saturday’s (Feb. 19) 69-65 conference road loss at Lake Superior State. The Wildcats, who have four of their last five outings to date this campaign, compiled a 19-8 overall record in 2003-04 and placed tied for third (11-7) in the GLIAC’s North Division. NMU, which was picked to finish tied for fourth place in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by senior guard Tiffany Grubaugh (17.5 ppg).

Michigan Tech: The Huskies maintain a 31-19 lead and have won seven of the last 10 series’ encounters entering this Saturday’s 51st meeting. MTU defeated FSU 83-74 in the most recent (2/3/05) meeting at Big Rapids after Ferris had claimed two of three meetings last campaign. MTU is presently 19-6 overall and 13-3 in the GLIAC following last Saturday’s (Feb. 19) 65-54 league road win at Saginaw Valley State. Fisk presently has a 4-10 career coaching record against the Huskies, who have split their last six games to date this campaign. Michigan Tech, which is led in scoring by freshman guard Sarah Stream (12.1 ppg) and junior center Amanda Sieja (12.0 ppg), was chosen third in the 2004-05 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll. The Huskies, who are guided by second-year head coach John Barnes, were 16-11 overall during the 2003-04 campaign and compiled a third-place tying 11-7 GLIAC North Division record. Michigan Tech will host Grand Valley State Thursday (Feb. 24) prior to facing the Bulldogs.