MUNCIE, IND. ? A win away from home would do Kansas University’s women’s basketball team a world of good.

“Especially,” KU junior forward Crystal Kemp said, “with our first game in the Big 12 in Austin.”

The Jayhawks will meet Ball State tonight in their nonconference finale before beginning Big 12 Conference play Wednesday against national powerhouse Texas in Austin, Texas.

Tipoff will be at 6 p.m. at Worthen Arena on the BSU campus. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network, including KLWN-AM 1320.

Tonight’s game will be the Jayhawks’ third away from Lawrence. They bowed earlier to Minnesota and Creighton, but Ball State may not be in the same class with the Gophers and Bluejays.

Ball State has won only four of its 10 outings. The Cardinals have had trouble with turnovers, averaging 18.5 a game. Kansas, meanwhile, feeds off opponents’ mistakes.

In Tuesday’s 71-45 romp over San Diego State in Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks forced 20 turnovers — half of those during a nine-minute first-half stretch in which they outscored the Aztecs, 24-0.

“I think that’s the best defense we’ve played this year,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “During that stretch, we were really good.”

Ball State also played Tuesday night, whipping a struggling Saint Louis U. team, 75-60. Four Cardinals scored in double figures against the 1-10 Billikens.

Kate Endress, a senior forward, led the Cards with 18 points. She’s averaging 14.9 points a game.

“Endress causes match-up problems for us,” Henrickson said. “She’s six feet and she has good range. And Ball State shoots the ball better than San Diego State.”

Ball State is particularly effective at the foul line. The Cards are shooting a glossy 72.4 percent at the stripe and, as Henrickson said, “We can’t defend at the free-throw line.”

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Kansas had an effective inside-outside punch against the Aztecs with Kemp scoring 18 points in the paint and point guard Erica Hallman adding 17, mostly from outside. Hallman made three of four three-point attempts and now is shooting 40 percent from beyond the arc.

“We need to go in focused,” Hallman said about tonight’s game.

Echoed freshman forward Taylor McIntosh: “We just need to stay together and play defense.”

Henrickson would settle for another nine-minute sizz like she saw Tuesday against SD State, but the first-year KU coach would rather her players played solidly throughout instead of spectacularly for a stretch.

“We need to be consistent and compete for 40 minutes,” Henrickson said.

KU’s next home game will be Jan. 8 against Kansas State.