Back-to-back losses haven't dampened the spirits of coach Kelly Packard. She's optimistic about tonight when the Cardinals will get another crack at earning their first victory of the season at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.
The 8 p.m. tip off marks the second game in four days for the Cardinals. Packard said she feels Ball State is ready for the sudden amount of competition.
"That's one of the beautiful things about basketball where you don't have very many days before your next competition," Packard said. "I compare that to a sport like football, where you have to sit on a loss for an entire week sometimes."
Though the Cardinals are a very young team and have dropped their first two contests of the season, Packard said she believes her group can pick themselves up.
"This group's energy is fluid," Packard said. "I've not had to talk to [them] about effort. That's been fun for me, and because of that, I feel really excited about our opportunity. They've corrected a lot of things that can help us win."
SIU-Edwardsville, which won its season opener by defeating Valparaiso 67-64 in overtime, will be a tough challenge for Ball State's defense. Guards Melia Duncan and Jazmin Hill along with forward Michaela Herrod scored 12 or more points against the Crusaders.
The Cardinals will counter with sophomore forward Jazmin Hitchens, who is fresh off of her two-game suspension for violating team rules.
Hitchens will compliment freshman guard Brittany Carter on the defensive end in an attempt to slow down the Cougars' offense.
"Now I've got the length that Jazmin offers defensively," Packard said. "And now Brittany Carter has quite a bit of length on the perimeter. It's going to be out first opportunity outside of the exhibition game to have them on the floor at the same time."
If the Cardinals are able to pull off the victory, it would be Packard's 50th-career win. But she isn't concerned about milestones.
"I just want this young group to reach a win," Packard said. "I really do believe if they get one, they're capable of putting a string of wins together. One of the things that has to happen is just getting a victory."
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