FSU Women’s Basketball At A Glance: The Ferris State University women’s basketball team will host rival Grand Valley State this Saturday (Jan. 10) for a 1 p.m. (EST) Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) encounter at FSU’s Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids, Mich.

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.

A Look Back: Ferris, which is presently 8-5 overall and 3-1 in league action, dropped two non-conference outings last weekend (Jan. 2-3) in Arkansas. The Bulldogs lost a 95-83 decision to Henderson State (Ark.) last Friday (Jan. 2) in Arkadelphia, Ark. Ferris then suffered a 92-80 setback versus Central Arkansas in Saturday’s (Jan. 3) contest at Conway, Ark. Senior guard Lucy DeMartin (Mason) tallied a game-high 33 points at HSU while sophomore guard Erin Miller (Niles) registered a team-best 24 points at UCA.

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 346-381 (.476) 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 93-56 (.624) 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 seven victories shy of notching her 100th career coaching victory.

Finally At Home: Saturday’s game marks Ferris’ initial appearance at Jim Wink Arena this campaign. Twelve of FSU’s first 13 games this season were away from home. The lone exception was the Bulldogs' 88-70 loss to Lake Superior State (Dec. 11), which was played at Big Rapids (Mich.) High School due to conflicts with the school's annual graduation ceremony. Five of Ferris’ next six outings are at home.

At Wink Arena: Ferris has recorded a 32-12 (.727) overall record to date in home contests at Jim Wink Arena, including a 25-11 (.694) 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 130-97 (.573) overall since 1995-96 and sports a 78-64 (.549) record in road/neutral site contests during that span. The Bulldogs are 42-28 (.600) overall in road games under head coach Tracey Fisk, including a 28-20 (.583) 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. GVSU was selected as the GLIAC North Division favorite while Wayne State 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 (Howell), Bridget Horwitz (Auburn, Ind./DeKalb) and Molly Potvin (Lansing/Catholic Central). 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.

Solid League Start: Ferris’ current 3-1 league start this campaign marks the fifth time in head coach Tracey Fisk’s six seasons at the helm the Bulldogs have won three of their initial four GLIAC outings. FSU posted a school-best 4-0 league start in 2000-01. Last season (2002-03), Ferris opened league action with a 2-2 record.

Looking Ahead: Ferris will visit Hillsdale Thursday, Jan. 15, for a 6 p.m. (EST) league contest in HC’s Jessie Philips Arena at Hillsdale, Mich. The Bulldogs will entertain Wayne State Saturday, Jan. 17, in a 1 p.m. (EST) GLIAC tilt at Wink Arena.

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: The Bulldogs have registered six of their eight victories this campaign by five points or less. Ferris has won nine of its last 10 such games dating back to last season ...... Lucy DeMartin currently has 1,383 career points and needs 190 more to match Monta Ware's (1979-83) school-record output of 1,573 points. DeMartin, who presently has an active 44-game double-figure scoring streak, has 326 career made free throws to date and needs 19 more to tie Jodi Raab's (1989-93) school-record total of 345 ........ Erin Miller presently has reached double-figure scoring in 11 of her 13 contests this campaign. She scored her 500th career point at Henderson State ...... Lucy DeMartin currently has 160 career steals and is seven shy of tying Danielle Smith (167; 1987-91) for third place on the school's career leaders list ....... Molly Potvin is 15 points away from recording her 400th career point and needs 35 additional rebounds to garner her 300th career board. The 5-10 Potvin has scored 10 points or more in six of her last seven appearances this campaign ........ Freshman guard Kristin Reinhart (East Lansing) attained her 100th career point at Central Arkansas ......... Stephanie Benear is currently averaging a personal career-high 7.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 13 contests this campaign, which tops her previous best total of 4.6 points and 3.0 rebounds per game set in 26 outings last season. She tallied her 350th career point at Central Arkansas ........ Sophomore forward/center Darcie Philp (Ubly) grabbed her 100th career board at Henderson State ......... The Bulldogs have recorded fewer turnovers than their opponents in five of their last six games ....... Junior guard Sharon Smith (Inkster/Oak Park) registered a personal career-best six points at Central Arkansas ........ Ferris has allowed 70.0 points per game in its eight victories this season compared to 90.8 points per game in its five losses.

GLIAC Weekly Award: Erin Miller has been selected this week's (Jan. 5) GLIAC North Division Player of the Week after averaging 21.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals per game in FSU’s four road outings over the holiday break. She totaled three 20-plus point performances during the stretch, including a team-high 24 points at Central Arkansas and 22 points versus Indianapolis (12/19) at the GLIAC/Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Classic held in Midland, Mich. Miller was 30-of-61 (.492) from the floor, 11-of-26 (.423) from three-point range and sank 11-of-12 (.917) free throw attempts in the stretch.

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 Opponent:

Grand Valley State: GVSU holds a 42-19 advantage heading into this Saturday’s 62nd encounter although FSU posted a 75-69 victory in the last meeting (2/10/03) at Big Rapids, Mich. Grand Valley State is currently 3-7 overall and 0-2 in GLIAC action after dropping a 70-47 non-league decision at St. Cloud State (Minn.) last Sunday (Jan. 4). GVSU, which was picked to finish first in the 2003-04 GLIAC North Division Preseason Coaches Poll, is led in scoring by senior center Julie Zeeff (18.2 ppg). The Lakers have lost six of their last seven games to date under second-year head coach Dawn Plitzuweit. GVSU was 24-7 overall during the 2002-03 campaign and placed second in the GLIAC North Division with a 13-5 mark en route to an NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tournament appearance. FSU head coach Tracey Fisk presently has a 7-4 career coaching record against the Lakers. The two teams split last season’s two meetings as GVSU beat FSU 83-55 at Allendale, Mich. (Jan. 18). Ferris is 12-17 all-time against the Lakers in Big Rapids.