One play in the third quarter can summarize how Ball State women’s basketball played against Mid-American Conference opponent Akron.
Senior Ally Becki stole the ball at half-court and drove in transition. She found senior Marie Kiefer on the run and tossed her the ball.
Becki said she knew Kiefer would hit her again in transition, and once she saw Kiefer open, her mind was set. Becki wrapped the ball behind her back and hit Kiefer for an easy bucket.
Worthen Arena erupted.
Head coach Brady Sallee said Worthen was as loud as he could recall when Becki dished it to Kiefer. He waived his arms up and down to pump up the crowd immediately after.
“I've learned to take some time to enjoy those moments too,” Sallee said. “I think as a young coach, I forgot that, and I was so busy trying to be whatever a coach is supposed to be. I think I missed some of those [moments] with some really special players through the years.”
The Cardinals (14-4, 6-0) defeated Akron (9-9, 3-3) 80-57 to remain unbeaten in the MAC.
Sallee said he has grown to appreciate every moment, specifically with the four core seniors [Becki, Madelyn Bischoff, Alex Richard and Kiefer]. Whether it is a 3-pointer, a pass or a bucket. It can be anything.
“They were having fun. I wanted to play too,” Sallee said.
Becki said she wished the Zips had not called the timeout after the bucket because she was so energized by the crowd.
Worthen Arena has been no secret to the Muncie community supporting Ball State women's basketball. As of Jan. 6, 2025, the attendance numbers are up 25 percent according to Ball State athletics.
Sallee said he remembers talking early with the Cardinals and saying this could be a team the community gets behind. From the loyalty of the seniors to the style of basketball, Sallee said the group appeals to fans.
Sallee said the Cardinals want to play to a point where it would be hard to root for them, and is thankful for the community returning love to the players.
One of Sallee’s main points in making Ball State appealing is their effort. The Cardinals translated their defensive effort to the offensive end of the court throughout the entire game, forcing Akron to make mistakes.
Bischoff said once the Cardinals make a stop, their transition offense can be difficult to guard for opposing teams. That rang true today as Ball State forced 20 turnovers and scored 22 points off those turnovers. Bischoff said the transition offense almost feels automatic.
“I think it's just fun to run,” Becki said. “We definitely did get tired for however long that stretch was going up and down, but it showed that we were the tougher team.”
Bischoff has been battling through injuries all season and today was the first day she was able to play with the seniors on her home court.
“It just meant a lot to me,” Bischoff said.
Bishoff finished with a game-high 18 points. Becki finished with 10 points, six assists and four steals. Other notable scorers for the Cardinals were senior Lachelle Austin with ten points, Richard with 13 points and junior Tessa Towers with ten points.
The Cardinals will have to pivot quickly as they host MAC rival Toledo Monday at 11 a.m. in Worthen Arena.
Sallee said he will spend all his time in the next few days preparing for the Rockets. He said the Cardinals will need to take a professional approach to practicing to prepare for Toledo. Instead of the usual two or three days, the Cardinals will only have a few hours to practice as a team.
Sallee said the quick turnaround mimics the conference tournament with schedule and competitive teams.
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
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