A record crowd of 4,711 piled into Worthen Arena on senior night for Ball State University's women's basketball team to watch the Cardinals pull out a thrilling 74-73 victory against Eastern Michigan University.
"It was the most emotion I've ever felt since I've been here," senior Kelsey Corbin said. "Everybody stepped up today and played well and played their role. I mean, we were chest-bumping, we were high-fiving, we were all over the place. With the atmosphere that the crowd provides, the kind of the day it was, it was ridiculous."
With some not-so-subtle prodding from coach Tracy Roller the crowd spent much of the final minutes standing and cheering. Most of the crowd then stayed after the thrilling finish to see seniors Kelsey Corbin, Becca Bajorek and Tina Bolte honored in a post-game ceremony.
"We joke about it all the time," Corbin said. "It trickles down from the top. [Roller's] focus, her energy, her intensity is right up there with the best of them and it trickles down to the team. You can't ask for more than your coach stomping on the floor and trying to get the crowd going when we're on defense."
For Roller, seeing the record crowd was a big difference from her first game at Ball State in 1999 when she came to the university as an assistant coach.
"I remember when [then-head coach] Brenda [Oldfield], Marsha [Frese] and I walked out for our first exhibition game and there was 18 people, and I think nine of them were my family." Roller said. "I think there were about five possessions [today] where, kind of egged on by me, we got the crowd going and we got a stop because of it. And it was huge."
Perhaps more of a factor into the emotions was the fact it was the final game for the seniors. Junior Julie DeMuth, who led the team with 18 points and scored the game-winning free throws, said senior night was the biggest emotional factor for the team.
"We told them before the game, we're doing this for you," DeMuth said. "I think that was everyone's real focus."
Corbin suggested some other motivation was helping DeMuth hit those free throws.
"She knew she was going to get beat up after the game if she didn't hit them," the senior joked.
All three seniors started for the Cardinals, including Bajorek, who is battling injuries. Bolte and Corbin both scored 12 points for the Cardinals, and Corbin had a game-high eight assists.
"This team just plays so much better when they're playing for someone on that team," Roller said. "Obviously, I think the team knows what Kelsey gives us on a daily basis, but what Becca and Tina have given up and sacrificed this year for this team, I think that's the reason we are where we are."
Despite the win, there were some bittersweet feelings as well. Since all the games of the Mid-American Conference Championship will be played at Cleveland this year, it was the last game in Worthen Arena for the three seniors.
"This place has an aura about it and it's hard to get that anywhere else," Corbin said. "You're here for four years, you get used to the sounds and the lights. I think that we have one of the greatest fan base and atmosphere in the MAC. When you're in there it's hard not to play well."
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