It was a game defined by sheer will. Playing on just one day of rest, Ball State battled visiting Stetson as a unit until the final buzzer to come out victorious in double-overtime, 78-73.
"We are playing for each other out there," sophomore forward Katie Murphy said. "That was one of the main things coach [Kelly Packard] emphasized going into this season. We have really bit into that. Through [our] struggles, we've stuck together."
Packard, who opted to start freshman guards Shelbie Justice and Brittany Carter along with sophomores Brandy Woody, Murphy and Jazmin Hitchens, received a quick offensive surge to open the game.
Just 12 seconds in, Woody, a guard, dished the ball to Carter, who sank a 3-point jumper to give Ball State a 3-0 advantage. Nearly four minutes later, Carter converted on another clean look from beyond the arc to give Ball State a 6-4 lead.
Unlike most freshmen who would typically struggle early and often, Carter hasn't played like the rookie she is.
"It takes my breath away to see how quickly Brittany has shown poise and how quickly in game situations, whether it's at the free throw line or whether it's knowing that the ball is going to come into her hands in a pressure-filled situation," coach Kelly Packard said. "Her poise and maturity is outstanding for a freshman."
Ball State jumped out to an 11-point lead less than 10 minutes into the game, but turnovers plagued them and the double-digit margin quickly evaporated. Stetson took a six-point lead into halftime, leaving the Cardinals searching for answers.
The Cardinals rallied for a 31-point second-half effort. Murphy controlled the boards both offensively and defensively, coming down with a team-leading 12 rebounds.
The ability is something that is second nature to her.
"When I go in the game, I know I'm going in to get rebounds," Murphy said. "It's just something that comes easy, and the offense comes with it. That's my main focus."
Murphy's effort combined with a pair of second-half performances from forward Hitchens and junior forward/guard Mercedes Miller gave Ball State some much-needed momentum.
"I said one thing at halftime," Packard said. "I said ‘I need my bigs to rebound.' Katie stepped up and got it done for us."
At the end of regulation, the score was knotted at 56-56. Both the Cardinals and the Hatters traded blows in overtime to force a second period after regulation.
Prior to the start of the second overtime, Packard huddled her team together and chose to go with a different lineup.
"When we went into that second overtime, I chose to go small and Mercedes has not really played that spot, although our motion [offense] lends itself to just general good movement," Packard said.
Miller didn't back down from the challenge. Clinging to a one-point lead with just under two minutes to play in the second overtime, Miller drove to the rim for an easy layup to extend the Cardinals' lead to three.
There would be no comeback by the Hatters. When the buzzer sounded, the Cardinals' bench erupted, celebrating their 78-73 triumph at mid-court.
"We just grew up so much," Packard said. "A game like that give us a growth spurt that I don't think you could chart. We had to manage some key situations. We had to break a press. We had to run a pressured sideline out of bounds entry pass. We had to hit free throws down the stretch."
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