MUNCIE, Ind. (Interstat) — A stark contrast in fortunes will be on display Wednesday night when the surging Ball State Cardinals host the struggling Northern Illinois Huskies in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball matchup at Worthen Arena.

The Cardinals (17-5 overall) enter as one of the MAC’s top teams, fresh off a 101-91 road victory at Kent State on Sunday. Ball State’s high-powered offense is led by guard Bree Salenbien, who is coming off a triple-double performance with 24 points, 10 assists and six rebounds against the Golden Flashes. Salenbien has scored in double figures in seven consecutive games.

Northern Illinois (4-17) seeks to halt a two-game skid and find consistency in conference play. The Huskies fell 75-70 to Central Michigan last Saturday despite a strong outing from guard Nadechka Laccen, who logged 40 minutes and contributed 17 points and four assists. Laccen has been a bright spot, averaging 15.4 points over her last five contests.

Ball State won the season’s first meeting decisively, 74-56, in DeKalb on Jan. 3. The Cardinals have won four of their last five games and boast a potent attack that averages over 78 points per contest. Northern Illinois, conversely, has been held under 65 points in 10 of its last 11 outings.

The Huskies will need a significant defensive effort to contain a balanced Ball State roster that features multiple scoring threats, including Tessa Towers, who had 29 points and 11 rebounds in the win at Kent State. For Northern Illinois, support for Laccen must come from players like Emilie Sorensen, who scored 18 points in the loss to Central Michigan.

Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. EST Wednesday. The game continues a challenging stretch for Northern Illinois, which will host Massachusetts next Tuesday. Ball State hits the road next Tuesday to face Eastern Michigan as it continues its pursuit of a MAC regular-season title.