MUNCIE, Ind. (Interstat) — Ball State will host Arkansas State in a women’s NCAA Division I basketball game on Monday at Worthen Arena. Both teams enter with 0-0 records, giving the Cardinals and Red Wolves an early opportunity to establish themselves before their nonconference schedules gain pace.

Ball State returns to action after its most recent result, a 69-65 home loss to Toledo. The Cardinals will have the comfort of playing at Worthen Arena, where they will spend several early-season dates. Ball State’s upcoming schedule includes home games against High Point, Louisville, Illinois, Robert Morris and IU Indy, plus matchups with Illinois-Chicago, Temple, Maryland, Cincinnati and Oregon State. The game against Arkansas State gives Ball State a chance to settle rotations and build momentum before that challenging stretch.

Arkansas State also enters at 0-0 and will be the visiting team on Monday. The Red Wolves’ most recent result was a 69-62 home loss to Marshall. Arkansas State’s schedule features games against Florida Gulf Coast, Loyola Chicago, North Texas, Stephen F. Austin, Arkansas-Little Rock, Arkansas and Texas, along with home dates against Jackson State, Central Arkansas and Mississippi Valley State. The trip to Muncie offers an early test against a Ball State team playing on its home floor.

The matchup pairs two programs looking for a strong start. Ball State will try to use its home-court familiarity, while Arkansas State will aim to manage the road setting and control tempo. Arkansas State will need to handle the travel and adjust to a road environment, while Ball State will try to use its home setting to dictate the pace. Both teams are 0-0, so early execution, rebounding and protecting the ball could shape the contest. The Cardinals and Red Wolves will each seek to set a tone before their schedules become more demanding.

Ball State’s nonconference slate includes several notable home opportunities, and Arkansas State’s schedule presents a mix of road challenges and home dates. The game on Monday provides both teams with an early measuring point in a fresh season. The contest is one of the first chances for both programs to evaluate combinations and establish an identity before the schedule becomes more crowded. The Cardinals will look to defend their home court at Worthen Arena, and the Red Wolves will seek to answer on the road.

Interstat’s game simulator projects a final score of Ball State 75, Arkansas State 69. Interstat’s ELO system gives Ball State a 74.7 percent probability to win.