Posted: Mar 23, 2024
ELITE EIGHT PREVIEW: Ferris State Faces Tampa In First-Ever Women's Elite Eight Appearance
| NCAA Elite Eight - National Quarterfinal FSU vs. Tampa - Monday, 1 pm ET |
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| Video: | NCAA HUDL WEBCAST (PPV) |
| Radio/Audio: | Sunny 97.3 FM & Online |
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| Ferris State Team Coverage | |
| Team Video Center | |
Click Here For Complete Game Notes (PDF)
This Week's Action
The Ferris State University women's basketball squad, which claimed its first-ever Midwest Regional Championship this past week, will make its first NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearance in school history as the Bulldogs take on the University of Tampa in the national quarterfinals on Monday, March 25, at the St. Joseph Civic Arena in St. Joseph, Mo. Tipoff is set for 1 p.m. (ET).
Media Coverage
Monday's contest along with complete coverage of FSU throughout the Elite Eight will be carried live by local flagship station Sunny 97.3 FM and the Bulldog Sports Network at FerrisStateBulldogs.com with Rob Bentley and Sandy Gholston providing the play-by-play coverage. A live pay-per-view video webcast will be available at NCAA.com along with live internet statistics and social media updates. For a complete listing of links, please visit FerrisStateBulldogs.com.
Ticket Information
Fans can purchase tickets for the Division II Elite Eight online from the St. Joseph Sports Commission Box Office at stjomosports.com or via NCAATickets.com. All seats are general admission. The Bulldogs will compete in session one at the Elite Eight on Monday with ticket prices $20 for adult single session or $10 for youth (age 5-college) along with senior citizens (age 65+). An all-session pass is also offered for $40.
NCAA Tourney History
The Bulldogs are making their seventh NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament appearance in the program's history and third in the past four full seasons. FSU advanced to the tourney in 2019-20 before it was cancelled due to COVID and fell in a first-round tournament thriller at Ashland two years ago before claiming the program's first regional championship this year.
Recent GLIAC Success
Ferris State has ranked as one of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference's (GLIAC) most improved teams in recent years and captured the GLIAC North Division Championship two years ago. FSU also won the GLIAC North title in 2019-20, which was its first since the 2011-12 campaign. FSU followed up its regular-season showing by capturing its first GLIAC Tournament title two seasons ago, knocking off second-ranked rival Grand Valley State in the final.
GLIAC Tourney History
The Bulldogs made their seventh consecutive appearance in the conference tournament this year. It was also FSU's 21st league women's basketball tournament appearance and the Bulldogs reached the semifinal round before falling to Northern Michigan.
The Head Coach
Fourth-year head coach Kurt Westendorp, who previously served two years (2010-12) as the Bulldogs' top assistant coach and had more than a decade of coaching experience on the collegiate level, returned to Ferris State in the summer of 2020 to take over for former head coach Kendra Faustin. The Michigan native spent four years as the head coach at William Jessup University in Rocklin, Calif., building the program from the ground up into a successful national contender on the NAIA level following a four-year run as the associate head coach at NCAA Division I Valparaiso University.
Big Home Record
FThe Bulldogs finished the season with an 11-1 overall mark at home inside FSU's Jim Wink Arena. Overall, FSU has now won 53 of its last 76 games on its home floor dating back to the 2017-18 season. The Bulldogs have also posted a 12-3 mark in road games this year and are 2-1 on neutral floors.
Both Bulldog Teams In NCAA Tournament
This year represents the third time in school history in which both the Bulldog men's and women's basketball squads have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in the same season. Both teams also accomplished the feat in 2020 before the tournament was cancelled along with the 2021-22 season. Both are in the D2 Elite Eight.
Special Pregame Reception
The Ferris State University Alumni Association will also be holding a special pregame reception prior to the quarterfinal-round contest. The event will take place at Geneo's Pizza and Pub, which is located at 809 Francis Street in St. Joseph. Monday's gathering will take place from 9:30-11 am (CT). The free event will be open to all FSU alumni and fans with a variety of breakfast pizza's, pastries and beverages available along with a cash bar featuring a mimosa and bloody mary bar. Fans are asked to RSVP in advance at Ferris.edu.
Special Watch Party For FSU Games
A special watch party will also be held for all Bulldog men's and women's D2 Elite Eight games at Buffalo Wild Wings in Big Rapids this coming week.
Postseason Honorees
Ferris State had four senior student-athletes receive All-GLIAC honors for the 2023-24 season. FSU had three first-team All-GLIAC honorees in senior guard Mallory McCartney, senior forward Chloe Idoni and junior guard Kadyn Blanchard. The Bulldogs were the only league member school to place three individuals on the All-GLIAC First Team squad. Additionally, FSU had two GLIAC All-Defensive Team honorees in Idoni and senior forward DeShonna Day. Recently, Idoni also claimed 2024 Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) All-Midwest Region First-Team honors and was tabbed to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team.
NCAA Tournament History
Ferris State is midst its seventh NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament appearance in the program's history. The Bulldog women's squad advanced to the tournament in 2020 before it was cancelled and the berth was FSU's first in the field since 2011-12 when FSU reached the Midwest Regional semifinals. The Bulldogs also made berths in 1999-00, 2003-04 and 2006-07 when FSU made its deepest previous run by reaching the regional final and the NCAA Division II Sweet Sixteen. The Bulldogs fell in the first-round at Ashland in 2022 before reaching the Elite Eight for the first time in program history this year.
Elite Eight Matchups
The complete first round matchups and Elite Eight seedings are listed below. All times are Eastern.
Monday, March 25 - Quarterfinals
(3) Ferris State vs. (6) Tampa | 1 p.m.
(2) Texas Woman's vs. (7) Daemen | 3:30 pm.
(1) Gannon vs. (8) Cal St. San Marcos | 7 p.m.
(4) Ga. Southwestern vs. (5) Minnesota St. | 9:30 p.m.
The winners will take part in the national semifinals on Wednesday (March 27). The winner of the FSU-Tampa game will hit the floor in game one at 7 p.m. (ET) and the national championship game is Friday (March 29) at 8 p.m. (ET).
Series History
Monday's matchup will mark the first-ever contest between the Bulldogs and the Spartans. The athletic director at Tampa is Larry Marfise, who served as FSU's AD from 1994-99.
Ferris State Notebook
Both Ferris State's men's and women's teams advanced to the NCAA D2 Elite Eight this week. FSU along with Gannon and Minnesota State have both squads represented in the field.
Ferris State won D2 national championships in men's basketball in 2018 along with football in 2021 and 2022.
The Bulldogs are ranked fourth nationally in assist/turnover ratio (1.27) and 16th in assists per game (5.3) this year. FSU is also ninth in assists per game (17.0 apg.) along with 14th in scoring margin (14.0) in Division II.
FSU's Mallory McCartney is seventh in the country in assist/turnover radio (2.68) and recorded a triple double this season with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in an OT win over Parkside (2/29). Senior Chloe Idoni is 19th nationally in free throw percentage (.873).
Idoni and McCartney both rank among the career top 10 at FSU in numerous statistical categories. McCartney has a school-record 667 assists and an all-time best 283 three's in 138 career games. She also is in the top 10 with 1,513 points and second with 281 steals. Meanwhile, Idoni is third at FSU with 1,603 points in 111 games and ninth with 668 rebounds along with third with 98 blocks. Her 372 made free throws ranks second at Ferris State.
The Bulldogs beat three #1-ranked teams this year in defending national champion Ashland (twice) and Grand Valley State (once) along with a #2-ranked team (GVSU). Ferris State handed both Ashland and GVSU its only Division II losses this year, beating each twice, including both in the Midwest Regional Tournament.