Thursday morning’s Ball State women’s basketball win went far beyond the play on the court. Nearly 5,000 students from Muncie area elementary and middle schools filled Worthen Arena for the annual Field Trip Day.
Needless to say, the kids were excited to be there, and the Cardinals gave them something to cheer for. The crowd was loud from team introductions to every made basket, and the final buzzer.
“It’s a lot of fun,” senior Madelyn Bischoff said. “But sometimes it's hard to hear, which is a really good thing. Overall though, I think it's fun and it makes me happy knowing that they're having fun and we're creating a great experience for them.”
Playing in front of a young crowd is a different experience than usual for senior Ally Becki, who sees it as a way to grow the game of basketball.
“I would say it's exciting,” she said. “You never know who's sitting in that chair and seeing one of us play and maybe taking that as an opportunity to want to play basketball. Hopefully, they see one of us out there and we influence them to just continue becoming basketball players.”
One of the biggest notes heading into the game has been the continued absence of senior Alex Richard. Graduate student Elise Stuck was also out for the first time this season after she picked up a concussion during the Cardinal's last game against South Dakota State.
“Elise is trending and getting better,” head coach Brady Sallee said. “You just got to give it time. I think [Alex] is progressing, she's going to be back. It's just kind of a pain-tolerance deal and there's going to be a little bit of time involved.”
The coaches and players look forward to having Richard and Stuck back. But according to Sallee, right now, they just need to continue to compete and play their game.
“As a coach and even the players, we all want her back,” he said. “But we just have to be patient and know that it's coming. In the meantime, we got a job to do and we got kids that can do it, as evidenced by today.”
The last four games have not swung the way of Ball State. Dropping three of those four, all against top-80 opponents according to the Net Rankings, though is something they are not upset about.
“We had played five straight against the top 83 and we're two and three,” Sallee said. “I think we were a few possessions away from maybe being undefeated or four-and-one. How did we play in those was really for me, what I look at. So the way we competed and the way we belonged was good stuff. I think this stretch of games is only going to make us better, as long as we keep it in perspective.”
Coming off the loss against South Dakota State Sunday, the locker room knew they had work to do and wanted to come away with a big win to get the ball rolling again.
“We knew what we had to do, and we just kind of had to put our feelings aside and just get straight into it,” Becki said. “This group isn't really used to losing two in a row like that, but we just kind of put our heads down and just started grinding.”
The play in the paint has been a major improvement for the Cardinals this season. Today against Davidson, they had 22 points from the paint and nine steals, something Sallee said is a part of his team's identity.
“You look at pretty consistent points in the paint being a strong thing. Today, rebounding was over the top, good. We've got to do those things, regardless of who we play, for us to be successful. When we can shoot the ball at a 40-percent clip from the three-point line, and we can have the paint stuff, I think that's when we're playing at our best.”
Getting production from the bench has been a sore spot for the Cardinals so far. Tonight, things changed and a handful of players came from the bench to put up productive minutes and important points.
Sallee said Zuri Ransom, Maliyah Johnson, Haley Smith, and Grace Kingrey played well coming off the bench. Johnson put up seven points, and Smith provided a spark of energy as she usually does from the bench.
“I thought Haley gave us a great spurt, a lot of energy, and a lot of toughness. She needed that, and we needed it. In adversity, when you got some kids out, you're not healthy, you got to have a bench that can step up and we certainly did today,” Sallee said.
Although the shooting was on display today, the grit of senior Marie Kiefer is something that did not go unnoticed. From being the all-time career blocks leader to consistently performing well every game, her spark is never not felt.
“I think she knows her role, and she plays it so well,” Bischoff said. “I think overall, she just brings a sense of confidence for us because we know she's gonna come every game and do her role. She's a huge part of our team, and we wouldn’t be where we are without her.”
The Cardinals travel to Ohio State (OSU) Dec. 10 in what will be the toughest game of the season for the Cardinals, with OSU currently ranked 12th in the nation. They are ready to compete and see how they can match up with another Power 4 opponent.
“With the next opponent, we're going to have to be tough,” Sallee said “The challenge now is, take tomorrow off and and then get in there on Saturday and figure out a way to do it more consistently…If you can't get excited about the stretch of games we played and the level we're being expected to play at, then you ain't real, not for this level. Our kids understand who Ohio State is, and they understand the opportunity. I think Ohio State is really good, but I think we are too.”
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