The 2022 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament was not a possibility for Ball State Women’s Basketball (18-11, 11-8 MAC), it was a certainty.
With the top eight finishers in the conference standings eligible for the MAC Tournament, head coach Brady Sallee said the Cardinals were confident throughout the season they would make it to Cleveland.
“I think between the ears, this group is ready,” Sallee said. “We’ve got some good leadership and I think we’ve expected to go up there [Cleveland].”
The Cardinals first-round game of the tournament is March 9 at 1:30 p.m against No. 4 seed Northern Illinois (14-14, 11-9 MAC). Ball State enters as the No. 5 seed having split its two regular season contests with the Huskies.
The Cardinals defeated Northern Illinois in overtime 83-82 Jan. 5. Redshirt junior Anna Clephane led Ball State with 22 points and junior Sydney Freeman scored 20 points. With Clephane sidelined, Freeman said the key to Ball State's success in the tournament will be its ability to play together.
“I think coming in with the same motivation because when we play together, we play best,” Freeman said.
Instead of placing an emphasis on coaching, Sallee said the Cardinals need to stick to their identity and be themselves in order to reach their potential.
“I think with this group, we just have to be us,” Sallee said. “I’m telling you, when we’re us, I think we’re the best team in the league.”
In their second matchup Feb. 26, the Huskies defeated the Cardinals 77-72. Northern Illinois junior forward A’Jah Davis registered a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Davis is No. 9 in MAC scoring with 16.5 points per game and also averages 12.1 rebounds per game on the season.
Sallee said he isn’t concerned with Ball State's opponent because he trusts what he has in the Cardinals.
“I think we look around our locker room and think, ‘We’re good,’” Sallee said. “We’re going to go up there with plenty of confidence no matter who we play.”
Junior Annie Rauch has scored in double-figures in five of the Cardinals last seven games, and Sallee said Ball State's balance between the perimeter and inside is in a solid place heading into the postseason.
“I think this team is built for as much as I’ve ever coached and I know what I have in our locker room,” Sallee said. “I think our guard play is where it needs to be and the emergence of our bigs and how we’re starting to get some real production out of them is really important.”
Senior Blake Smith, the lone Ball State senior, said she wants to win the MAC Tournament and qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
“I want to get a ring,” Smith said. “I want to have that first NCAA [Tournament] experience. I want to do it with the team that's with me right now and with the coach that feels like he’s pushed me my whole life.”
Sallee said the mindset is to leave victorious and capture Ball State's first MAC Championship since 2009.
“We’re going up there to win three [games],” Sallee said. “Any other thoughts go away. We’re going up there to win three games, plain and simple.”
The winner of Ball State and Northern Illinois will face the winner of No. 1 seed Toledo (25-4, 19-1 MAC) and No. 8 seed Ohio (15-13, 9-10 MAC). The semifinal is March 11 at 10 a.m.
Contact Kyle Smedley with comments at kyle.smedley@bsu.edu or on Twitter @smedley193.
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