Ball State women's basketball head coach Brady Sallee sat alone at the post-game press conference for the first time this year, the usual company of two players was not with him.
The Cardinals (20-6, 12-2 MAC) had just been beaten by Kent State (17-10, 8-6 MAC), 60-54, their second consecutive loss in the Mid-American Conference (MAC).
“We got whooped, straight up,” Sallee said. “...The tougher, more physical team won today. [It] doesn't get more simple than that.”
Sallee said the Cardinals' consistent issue boils down to toughness. The head coach said they have consistently struggled to stay tough, and since the calendar is creeping toward March, he said it is not something you can mess with.
In one fell swoop, Sallee analyzed some of the game's statistics.
The Cardinals were outrebounded 42-29. “Toughness.”
Ball State was outscored 30-18 in the paint. “Toughness.”
The Cardinals were outscored 12-4 in transition. “Toughness.”
“As the great Bob Ross would do, he dipped his paintbrush and struck it. There’s another beautiful picture about how this game went,” Sallee said.
The Cardinals trailed by 15 points with a minute and a half left in the third quarter and had only hit one field goal in the quarter at the time. Ball State was able to will itself back to make it a single-digit game late in the fourth quarter but was unable to climb the hill and take the lead.
Ball State also struggled to find momentum due to poor field goal percentage. The Cardinals finished shooting 31.6 percent from the field and 28 percent from the 3-point line. Late in the game when Ball State needed a bucket, it was hard to find.
Sallee said things need to change going forward, and that starts with looking in the mirror and realizing what is wrong. He said it starts with himself by making sure they are as prepared as possible. Regardless, today’s outcome was not expected, he said.
The head coach also said the Cardinals need to examine their preparation and start practicing differently. Sallee said that if rest is the focus of practice, Ball State will miss out on other important factors going forward.
“We're gonna have to figure it out over our day off here, get back in on Monday and understand we're still in the driver's seat,’ Sallee said. “...It's so much bigger than that right now, we got to play the game the right way with the right amount of toughness.”
Sallee broke it down as Kent State played seven (minus one player with 44 seconds) and Ball State played seven players. That equates to the Cardinals getting “whooped,” Sallee said.
Ball State will be on the road to face Central Michigan Feb. 26 with the tip-off at 6:30 p.m.
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
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