Ball State University's women's basketball team clinched the Mid-American Conference West Division title outright with a last-second 74-73 victory against Eastern Michigan University, ensuring that this years seniors would graduate with one MAC title.
The Cardinals trailed Eastern Michigan University 73-72 with 14 seconds remaining, when Ball State took a timeout to draw up a winning play.
After a few passes around the perimeter, the ball ended up in senior Kelsey Corbin's hands. As she penetrated down the right side across the baseline, an Eagle defender cut Corbin off, forcing her to jump into the air. Just before landing out of bounds, Corbin found Julie DeMuth right in front the basket.
"I don't even think we had the play right," Corbin said. "We didn't have anything right. I'm on the baseline going 'Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, crap, where's Julie' and she just happened to be there and thank God she caught it."
With a slew of defenders surrounding DeMuth, she missed the shot. However, she was fouled with 3.8 seconds remaining. The junior, who had already set the Ball State record for most free throws made in a season this year, toed the free-throw line with a chance to put Ball State ahead.
"There was a lot of pressure, but I just had to focus," DeMuth said. "In this game they were fouling more than usual so I was like 'Alright I got these.'"
DeMuth hit both shots and Ball State took the lead 74-73. The Eagles last-second shot fell short as the buzzer sounded and Ball State clinched the Mid-American Conference West Division title.
The game was a back-and-forth battle with 12 lead changes and 11 ties, and the largest lead by either team was seven. Numerous times the Cardinals would go on a run, but just before they could pull away the Eagles would make a crucial 3-pointer.
"They were really shooting well from the outside," coach Tracy Roller said. "We matched them at some points, but they were just shooting well. They were contested, but sometimes you just come across a player like [Alyssa] Pittman who is just on."
Pittman paced Eastern Michigan with 16 points and shot 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. DeMuth led all players with 18 points, including 9-of-10 from the free-throw line. She was one of five Ball State players to reach double-figures, along with Lisa Rusche, Porchia Green, Tina Bolte and Corbin.
"There's not one specific person that we always run a play for," Corbin said. "Obviously, when it comes down the stretch we're going to go to Julie because of her consistency, but this team is full of players who can make plays throughout the entire game. I think we all just try to play well off of each other, and play to our strengths. We play our role and that's how we get our wins."
The win, the Cardinals 21st, tied for second most in team history. The record is 24 set by the 2001-02 squad. Ball State will play at Northern Illinois University Wednesday before heading to Cleveland for the MAC Tournament, where it will try to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
"Hopefully, we realized what happens when you play on a senior night, because we are getting ready to go to Northern," Roller said. "[Stephanie] Raymond is a heck of a player and so is Kristin Wiener and its going to be both their senior nights. We got to come in focused and be ready to go from the start because they are going to have what we had tonight."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
