WBB Notes: Findlay/Hillsdale (Dec. 10-12)

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* The Game: The Ferris State University women’s basketball team hits the road for a pair of Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) games this week. FSU visits Findlay on Thursday (Dec. 10) for a 5:30 p.m. (EST) tipoff at Croy Gymnasium followed by a tilt at Hillsdale on Saturday (Dec. 12) with tipoff at 1 p.m. (EST) inside HC’s Jesse Phillips Arena.

* Ticket Info: Tickets for both doubleheaders will be available at the door starting prior to the women’s tipoff. For more information on tickets for the Hillsdale game, please contact the HC Athletics Office directly at (517) 437-7364. The Findlay Athletics Office can be reached by dialing (419) 434-4663.

* Media Coverage: Both women’s games are slated to be carried live by Bulldog Radio on Charter Channel 21 in Mecosta County or online at www.bulldogradio.org. A live audio and video pay-per-view webcast via B2 Networks will also be available along with live internet statistics. Please visit FSU’s Athletics Website at www.ferrisstatebulldogs.com to find links for all available coverage in the “upcoming events” tab.

* Follow On Twitter: Bulldog fans can follow all FSU games this year via Twitter. To access the service, please visit www.twitter.com/ferrisathletics to follow the tweet-by-tweet coverage with periodic scoring updates.

* Last Week: Ferris State defeated Ashland 75-67 for its first league victory of the season last Thursday (Dec. 3) at Jim Wink Arena in Big Rapids before dropping Saturday’s (Dec. 5) conference home outing to Tiffin by a 74-65 count. The Bulldogs previously suffered a 57-43 loss to archrival Grand Valley State in their GLIAC opener last Monday (Nov. 30) to begin the three-game homestand.

* Leading The Way: FSU junior forward Tiara Adams averaged a team-high 12 points and 10 rebounds in FSU’s three league home games last week at Jim Wink Arena. Adams netted a game-high 11 rebounds in Monday’s loss versus Grand Valley State. She had a double-double in Thursday’s league victory over Ashland with 19 points and 10 rebounds followed by a 15-point and nine rebound effort in Saturday’s setback to Tiffin. Adams shot 53.3% (16-30) from the floor and also dished out eight assists in the three-game stretch. She’s scored in double-figures five times in six games this season.

* Stepping Up Her Game: Ferris sophomore guard Kelsey DeNoyelles has scored in double-figures four of the last five outings to date this year for FSU, including all three games last week. DeNoyelles presently ranks third on the squad in scoring this season at 9.5 points per game to date.

* The Records: Ferris State (2-4, 1-2 GLIAC) concluded the 2008-09 season with a 13-15 overall record after winning seven of their final nine contests. The Bulldogs made their 10th consecutive and 11th overall berth in the GLIAC Tournament where they advanced to the semifinals for the third-straight year in 2008-09.

Findlay (5-1, 1-1 GLIAC) tallied a 14-14 overall record last season and placed fourth in the GLIAC South Division with a 9-13 league slate.

Hillsdale (2-4, 2-0 GLIAC) posted an impressive 27-4 overall mark a year ago and won the GLIAC South with a 19-3 GLIAC record.

* The Coaches: Ferris State – Tracey Dorow (Western Michigan, 1996), 12th season, 190-128 (.597) – (7-5-0 vs. UF & 6-9-0 vs. HC). Dorow presently ranks as Ferris’ all-time winningest coach. She guided FSU to a 22-7 mark and the school's first NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Tourney appearance in 1999-00. She spent three seasons as an assistant coach at Lake Michigan College (1994-97) and one season at Indianapolis (1997-98). She also directed FSU to an NCAA Tourney berth in 2003-04 and the NCAA-II Sweet Sixteen in 2006-07.

Findlay – Kate Cummings (Rio Grande, 1993), 4th season, 34-52 (.395), 15th season overall, 238-196 (.548). Cummings previously led Ohio Northern to four NAIA Tourney apperances, including a “Sweet 16” showing.

Hillsdale – Claudette Charney, 8th season at HC, 454 career wins. Charney guided the Chargers to a GLIAC Tourney title and NCAA Tourney berth last season. She’s previously coached at Muskegon CC, Alma, Saginaw Valley State and Grand Valley State.

* Tough Loss: Ferris led Tiffin by 13 points (52-39) with 12:02 to play in last Saturday’s game before the Dragons went on a 15-1 run to take the lead. Tiffin outscored FSU 35-13 over the final 12 minutes of the game in notching the win.

* Tale Of Two Halves: Fifteen of sophomore guard Tricia Principe’s team-high and personal career-best 19 points versus Tiffin came in the second half of the game after she had previously scored all 12 of her points in the opening half of Thursday’s home win over Ashland. She’s reached double-digits three times to date this season.

* Coming Up Next: After this week, the Bulldogs are idle until returning to the floor with two games in Indiana on Dec. 30-31. FSU visits Midwest Regional foe Southern Indiana on Dec. 30 for a 6:15 p.m. (EST) tilt and then heads to Oakland City (Ind.) on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31) for a 6 p.m. (EST) game.

* FSU Picked Third: Ferris was picked to finish third in the 2009-10 GLIAC North Division Preseason Media Poll in conjunction with the league’s annual media day teleconference. The Bulldogs totaled 74 points in the balloting and trailed Michigan Tech's 142 points and second place Grand Valley State's 122 points in the North Division. The preseason nationally top-ranked Huskies earned 22 of a possible 24 first-place votes with GVSU earning the final two top votes. Northwood received 16 first-place votes in being selected the South Division favorite by a group of 24 media members.

* Last Season: Ferris State concluded the 2008-09 season with a 13-15 overall record after winning seven of its final nine contests. The Bulldogs made their 10th consecutive and 11th overall berth in the GLIAC Tournament where they advanced to the semifinals for the third-straight year in 2008-09.

* The Bulldog Roster: Ferris’ current 2009-10 roster includes one senior, four juniors, three sophomores and five freshmen. Seven of the 13 players are guards while the remaining six are frontcourt players. Eleven players on the roster hail from Michigan with one each from Ohio and Indiana.

* Three Make Debut: Three Bulldog players made their official debut in the season opener at Gannon (Nov. 20), including freshman guard Kylie Muntz (Dayton, Ohio/Wayne), freshman forward/center Leah Kebler (Midland/Dow) and freshman forward/center Katy Fox (Royal Center, Ind./Pioneer). All three played at least 13 minutes and Kebler narrowly missed double-digits with eight points.

* The Bulldog Tradition: The Ferris State women’s basketball program, which is midst its 36th season of varsity competition, has compiled a 443-453 (.494) all-time mark. The Bulldogs won their only GLIAC crown, advanced to their first NCAA-II Regional Tournament and recorded the nation’s highest grade point average in 1999-2000. FSU, which claimed GLIAC Tourney runner-up honors in 1999-00 and 2003-04, has posted 10 or more victories 13 consecutive seasons.

* Great Season: Ferris State advanced to the NCAA-II Great Lakes Regional Championship Game for the first time ever in 2006-07 and was ranked 25th nationally in the final 2006-07 USA Today/ESPN NCAA Division II Top 25 Poll. The Bulldogs, who prior to 2006-07 had never won a NCAA Tournament game, recorded back-to-back wins in their first two national tournament contests en route to the regional runner-up finish. Ferris also compiled a second-place tying 13-5 GLIAC regular-season finish and earned the program's eighth consecutive GLIAC Tournament bid in the historic campaign.

* Coaching Staff Changes: Ferris head coach Tracey Dorow put the finishing pieces of her coaching staff together for the 2009-10 campaign with the appointment of Mark DeNoyelles, who served as a volunteer assistant coach for the Bulldogs in 2008-09, to the assistant coaching post following the departure of former assistant Crystal Harris, who left earlier this summer for a NCAA Division I assistant coaching position in her home state at Cal-State Fullerton. Former Bulldog standout Rachel Folcik has also returned to the program as a student assistant coach for this year. Folcik wrapped up her stellar Bulldog career in 2007-08 and spent last year playing overseas, but has returned to FSU to pursue a Master's degree. The Bulldogs' staff this season will also include Dorow's father, Rick Bloodworth, as a volunteer assistant coach for the fourth season and current FSU student Miles Prendergast in a student coaching role.

* Bulldog Notes: FSU will play a 27-game regular-season schedule this year with 22 league contests. Twelve games are at home ....... Ferris has won nine or more home games three of the last four years to date ...... Assistant coach Mark DeNoyelles is the father of both Stephanie and Kelsey DeNoyelles and served as their prep head coach at Mt. Pleasant Sacred Heart ...... FSU head coach Tracey Dorow notched her 190th career coaching win against Ashland and needs only 10 more to post her 200th career victory ..... The Bulldogs are seven wins away from notching the 450th triumph in school history ......... Two FSU veteran players are sidelined for the forseeable future in junior guard Stephanie DeNoyelles and senior center Andrea Clancy. DeNoyelles was injured in the offseason while Clancy played four minutes in FSU’s exhibition at Oakland before likely being lost for the year.

* Notes From Last Week: The conference-opening loss to Grand Valley State (Nov. 30) was FSU’s first setback in a league opener since 2001-02. The Bulldogs had won their first GLIAC contest seven-straight years ……… The quartet of Becci Houdek, Tiara Adams, Kelsey DeNoyelles and Tricia Principe combined to score 66 of FSU’s 75 points versus Ashland. The fifth starter, junior forward Amy Joostberns, totaled six points as the Bulldogs received only three points off the bench in picking up the win.

* Looking At Findlay: Findlay is off to a 5-1 overall start this year and is currently 1-1 in conference action following its first loss in a 61-50 setback at Lake Superior State last Saturday (Dec. 5). UF tallied a 14-14 overall record last season and placed fourth in the GLIAC South Division with a 9-13 league slate. Fourth-year head coach Kate Cummings’ squad was picked to finish third in the 2009-10 GLIAC South Division Preseason Media Poll. Sophomore guard Laura Bardall is currently leading three Oiler players scoring in double-figures at 17.3 points per game. Findlay is 1-0 at home to date this campaign.

* Looking At Hillsdale: Hillsdale posted an impressive 27-4 overall mark a year ago and won the GLIAC South with a 19-3 GLIAC record en route to a NCAA-II Tournament appearance. The Chargers started off with four losses this year, but are currently 2-0 in conference play after winning two road games at Lake Superior State and Saginaw Valley State last week (Dec. 3 & 5). Eighth-year head coach Claudette Charney’s team has four players scoring in double-figures, led by senior guard Janay Miller (17.8 ppg.). Saturday’s outing will represent the Chargers’ home opener. HC was chosen second in the GLIAC South Preseason Poll.

* Series Info: The Bulldogs currently lead Findlay 7-6 all-time heading into Thursday’s 14th meeting. FSU head coach Tracey Dorow has won seven of the 12 meetings against UF during her head coaching career. However, the Oilers have won two of the last three matchups ........ Ferris holds a 32-21 series edge entering Saturday’s game versus Hillsdale, but dropped a 88-64 decision to the Chargers in the most recent game at Jesse Phillips Arena a year ago (2/5/09) in Hillsdale, Mich. The Chargers have won nine of the the last 15 series’ matchups overall.

* Career History vs Opponents: FSU junior guard Becci Houdek and junior forward Amy Joostberns are the Bulldogs’ top returning performers versus both Findlay and Hillsdale ..... Houdek has averaged 5.0 points and 2.7 rebounds in three games to date versus the Oilers along with 6.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in three outings against the Chargers ...... Joostberns has tallied 3.7 points versus UF along with 4.7 points and 2.0 rebounds against HC in three career meetings versus both opponents.