Six-seed Ball State swept 11th-seeded Miami during the two regular-season matchups against the Redhawks, but the Cardinals lost March 7's do-or-die game in the Mid-American Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, 49-47.
With 3.2 seconds to go and the game tied, 47-47, Miami senior guard Eric Washington drew a foul and was sent to the line. Washington made both free throws, securing a 49-47 victory for Miami, advancing them to March 10’s quarterfinal match against Buffalo.
“I thought it was a very tough way to end this caliber of a game,” he said.
Ball State shot just 37.5 percent from the field and missed 20 of their 23 shots from beyond the arc. Junior forward Frank House led the Cardinals with 15 points.
“We just didn’t shoot the ball well,” House said. “Other than that, I thought we played well on the defensive end. We definitely left it all on the floor.”
Whitford said he thinks the season isn't over yet.
“We are confident our resume will put us in some kind of postseason tournament,” Whitford said. “The good news for us is the season is not over, and we will keep fighting.”
Ball State finishes this season with a 19-13 record after finishing 7-23 just a season ago. In Whitford’s third season, he said he has seen his philosophy start to take place.
“I say with great confidence we are just scratching the surface of what we can become,” Whitford said. “We have group players and coaches that are really committed to making us that team that competes for MAC championships.”
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