There was a palpable tension in the press conference following the Ball State women’s basketball 63-55 loss to South Dakota State University.
Head coach Brady Sallee said that comes from being fierce competitors who hate losing.
“That one didn’t feel good,” Sallee said.
Ball State falls to 5-3 on the season and the loss marks the first time since the 2022-23 season that Ball State women’s basketball has lost two regular season games in a row.
But the Cardinals were in control after the first half of play. They entered the locker room at half with a 33-27 lead after claiming it for the first time late in the second quarter. Ball State outscored the Jackrabbits 15-7 and held SDSU to 2-for-12 from the field.
Everything changed in the third quarter.
The Jackrabbits opened the quarter with a 10-2 run. The Cardinals were outscored 16-3 and shot an abysmal 1-for-13 from the field. On the flip side, SDSU shot 46 percent from the field to take a lead they wouldn’t give back up.
Just like the press conference, the energy inside Worthen Arena could be felt. The 1,200 reported fans inside were dead silent.
Senior Ally Becki said the Cardinals went wrong in the third quarter by playing one-on-one basketball. She said the lack of passing made it difficult for everyone to get involved and when the Cardinals did need the basketball, rebounding in the second half was not on their side.
Sallee said the Jackrabbits were able to impose their will in the third quarter since they were battle-tested. The tenured head coach said he would have to dive into the film to point out the specifics of where Ball State got beat.
“There's a lot of things that we can do better, and we have done better,” Sallee said.
Ball State women's basketball head coach Brady Sallee talks to a referee about a call while playing Belmont March 21 at Worthen Arena. Ball State lost 77-59 against Belmont. Mya Cataline, DN
The Cardinals outrebounded the Jackrabbits 25-9 in the first half, but that also changed after the halftime break. SDSU outrebounded the Cardinals in the second half 26-6 to win the overall battle 35-31.
Senior Marie Kiefer said rebounding has to be an improvement going forward. The senior finished with a game-high 19 points on 8-for-12 shooting with eight rebounds.
Sallee said Kiefer was a tough matchup for the Jackrabbits and did a good job of taking advantage of anything they could get. He also said the paint presence has to be up when shooting is poor.
The Cardinals shot 3-for-18 from the 3-point line and Becki said she noticed some hesitation from the arch. She said the Cardinals have to get into the gym to get stronger through repetition.
“I just think that sometimes you have off days, and I think they got us on our off day,” Becki said.
Sallee also said learning how to prepare and function in a highly competitive schedule is going to take some learning, a period Ball State is in currently. He said the tough schedule leaves no wiggle room in every aspect.
“There is no wiggle room for mediocrity,” Sallee said. “Whether that's effort levels, or in defensive breakdowns, or whether that’s offensive, there's just no level for it or no place for it.”
Sallee said there were too many moments where something did not go the Cardinals' way and the adversity of the game got the better of the Cardinals. Regardless of the adversity that got the best of them, Sallee said the process of being in the fire can create a battle-tested team in the end.
Ball State will return to Worthen Arena Dec. 6 to take on Davidson at 11 a.m. It will also be field trip day for the Cardinals, an annual event where Ball State hosts local school-aged children.
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
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