Following Ball State University's 17-point loss in its last home game, acting head coach Lisa McDonald challenged her players to focus on the fundamentals that had made them successful in the past.
At that time, Ball State's 66-49 defeat against Butler University was its seventh loss in the past eight games and in all seven of those contests the Cardinals failed to score 60 points. McDonald, who is serving as head coach while Tracy Roller continues to battle mononucleosis, said it was clear her team had lost its offensive aggressiveness.
"After the Butler game we all just got together and talked about who we were as a team," McDonald said. "I think we all agreed we needed to run the floor more. That kind of got lost in the shuffle with everything that happened in the non-conference season. We knew if we could pick that aspect of our game up we would be more successful."
In its past two games, Ball State made an assertive effort to score points in transition. The result has not only been Ball State's first back-to-back victories since late November but also a 2-0 record to open the Mid-American Conference season entering tonight's game against Eastern Michigan University.
In both of the Cardinals' past two games, they have scored a season-high 84 points and averaged 51.7 percent shooting.
Sophomore guard Audrey McDonald said her team's recent success can be attributed to the week following its loss against Butler, when she and her teammates spent most of their practice time running sprints to get in better shape.
"That's when it started clicking for us," McDonald said. "We had a stretch of practices that were extremely tough - a lot of [sprints]. But we pushed through those, and we've been a better team for it."
Lisa McDonald said she expects Eastern Michigan to play a 2-3 matchup zone against Ball State, a defense the Cardinals haven't faced often this year. Zone defense generally protects a team from giving up easy baskets in the paint while sacrificing open looks on the perimeter.
Lisa McDonald said it's vital for Ball State's outside shooters - especially Audrey McDonald, who leads Ball State with 36 3-pointers this season - to make shots in order to loosen the Eagles' grip against the Cardinals' post players inside.
"Shooters just lick their chops when they play against the zone defense," Lisa McDonald said. "Teams that play zone understand that's a risk you take - you might give up open shots on the outside. It's important that we are making our shots because that gives us more opportunities inside. Hopefully Audrey can get going early."
The chance to play in the friendly confines of Worthen Arena for the first time since that Dec. 29 game against Butler should significantly help Audrey McDonald and the Cardinal's other outside shooters. When Ball State tips off against the Eagles at 7 p.m. tonight, it will be its fifth home game of the season. During Ball State's stretch of seven losses in eight games, six came on the road.
"It seems like forever since we've been home," McDonald said. "You practice every day on your home rims, your home floor and your home backboard. I like to shoot my best at home."
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