While Ball State (8-23, 3-15 MAC) managed to outscore Toledo (20-10, 12-7 MAC) in every quarter apart from the first, the early deficit gave the Rockets enough headway to come out victorious to advance to the second round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament, sending the Cardinals back to Muncie and ending their season.
“We won those last three quarters, and we played with heart,” head coach Brady Sallee said. “We stuck with the game plan, got tougher throughout and played with a lot of fight.”
A field goal percentage of 46 played in the Rockets’ favor, and MAC Player of the Year contender Kaayla McIntyre posted 19 points to guide the Rockets to a 67-63 victory.
The Cardinal-Rocket matchup proved to be a battle each time this season. While the Cardinals lost all three meetings, it was never by a margin larger than seven points, and the first loss was by a single point.
“I feel good about the team’s growth throughout the season,” Sallee said. “You can’t coach experience, and we got it in loads this year. You go down the roster and look individually, I feel good about where they are.”
Through 15 turnovers and shooting 39 percent from the field, the Cardinals managed to maintain composure throughout the night, keeping the game close in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter.
The first few baskets of the game went back and forth, but six Cardinal turnovers in the first quarter allowed the Rockets to take a 21-8 lead. McIntyre had five points to lead the Rockets while the team collectively shot 61 percent from the field.
The Cardinals went on to win the second quarter 15-12 but trailed by 10 at the half. Ball State’s leading scorer going into halftime was senior Nakeya Penny with six points. Nakiah Black led Toledo with nine.
The Rockets’ lead was cut to six points in the third quarter, and a drawn charge from sophomore Maliah Howard-Bass sparked a Cardinal run to keep them in the game. It was freshman Blake Smith who led the Cardinal efforts, registering eight points heading into the fourth. But with McIntyre’s 15 points and nine from both Black and junior Mariella Santucci, the Rockets maintained a steady lead.
Threes from senior Jasmin Samz and Howard-Bass pulled the Cardinals to within three midway through the final quarter. The Cardinals stayed within six throughout the remainder of the game.
Despite efforts from the Cardinal squad, McIntyre’s force, accompanied by Black and Santucci, proved to be too much. A late 3-pointer by Penny brought the Cardinals within three yet again, but the Rockets prevailed, ending with two free throws from Black to seal the deal.
“Things aren’t going to change just as the players get older,” Sallee said. “We have to be able to look at our setbacks and learn from them. We’ve done that in a lot of places, but we have to do it in a big picture sort of way.”
Contact Gabi Glass with any comments at grglass@bsu.edu or on Twitter @gabiglassbsu.
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