When the final buzzer sounded, the Ball State women’s basketball team would be heading to Cleveland as the No. 2 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament. But it wasn’t the buzzer to Ball State’s game.
It was the final buzzer to the Central Michigan-Eastern Michigan game. The Chippewas won, 63-56.
A Central Michigan victory meant Ball State was in a 3-way tie for the No. 2 spot, along with Akron. Ball State has a 2-1 record against those teams, so it moved ahead of Central Michigan and will get a bye until Friday afternoon.
The No. 2 seed is the best Ball State has had since the 2008-09 season, when it was also the No. 2 seed. That team beat Bowling Green to win the MAC Championship and move on to the NCAA Tournament, where it famously upset Tennessee in the first round.
One member of the 2008-09 team was Audrey McDonald. McDonald ended her career in the top ten in Ball State’s scoring totals, and is now director of Basketball Operations for the current women’s basketball team.
Ball State will play at 2:30 p.m. Friday against Buffalo, Miami or Akron, depending on how the Wednesday and Thursday games turn out. Ball State went 2-1 against that trio of teams, its loss coming at Akron on February 16.
The Cardinals beat the RedHawks in its MAC opener at home on Jan. 10.
Ball State beat Buffalo on Jan. 23, with the help of junior Brandy Woody’s 29 points, 11 rebounds and seven steals.
Senior Shanee’ Jackson was honored on senior day on March 3. She has scored more than 500 points and grabbed more than 300 rebounds, but when asked of her favorite moment in her Ball State basketball career, she is quick to answer.
“This season,” she said.
One team Ball State may not want to see in the tournament is Toledo. Ball State went 0-2 against Toledo in the 2012-13 season, most recently in the season finale on March 6.
Toledo is the No. 1 seed in the tournament, and will play its semifinal game just before Ball State at noon Friday.
Ball State coach Brady Sallee said he would like to face Toledo again, but not to get revenge.
“That would mean we’re playing in the MAC Championship,” Sallee said about the possibility of facing the Rockets. “We just want to go up there and win the first one, and see if we can get to the championship. You never know what happens after that.”
