Ball State suffered its fifth consecutive loss, a 72-61 defeat at Miami on Saturday, and it looked as if things were snowballing fast.
But on Monday, Packard referred to tonight's game against Kent State and Saturday's home game versus Buffalo as "very doable."
Ball State's last two outings at Bowling Green and Miami may have resulted in losses, but in Packard's mind, her team has shown a vast amount of growth.
"We played some good basketball against two of the best teams in our conference in Bowling Green and Miami," Packard said. "Sometimes it just becomes words from us if they don't see the win."
Success has been rare for the Cardinals (7-14, 2-6) this season. They've dropped four Mid-American Conference road games and fell short in their last two home games. But the misfortune hasn't dampened the spirits of Packard and her young team.
The Cardinals began the season with three consecutive losses before winning three straight, and Packard said she believes the same outcome can happen again.
The Cardinals will arrive at the Convocation Center with a chance to steal a rare road victory against a struggling Golden Flashes (5-13, 4-4) team that returned just two players from last season's 20-win team. Among the newcomers are six freshmen and two transfers.
With so many new faces on the Golden Flashes roster, Packard complimented their ability to execute their offense.
"They do a great job of keeping space [in their offense]," Packard said. "They are looking to dribble penetrate so we've got to be in the correct off-ball position."
In order to counter the Golden Flashes' offensive attack, Packard could opt to utilize senior co-captain forward Suzanne Grossnickle, who is starting to heat up for the Cardinals. Over the last two games, Grossnickle has amassed 22 points and 13 rebounds. Her 18-point performance at Miami gave her a new career-high in scoring.
Packard said having another player step up is essential.
"She has definitely been playing well and I hope that has established confidence for her," Packard said. "What she has done tremendously well for us is she's keeping the ball really high. She's taking her time and that's why she's [producing]."
For updates on the women's basketball team, follow @PozzBSU on Twitter.
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