Ball State came into Saturday’s game knowing it needed to limit Kent State’s Tamzin Barroilhet, the Golden Flashes leading scorer with 10.4 points per game.
The Cardinals did exactly that, holding her to just two points, which came from free throws, and forced five turnovers in the team’s 59-44 win.
Ball State coach Brady Sallee said that one of the biggest reasons that Barroihet ineffective was because his team never gave her a chance to hurt them.
“We did a pretty good job of just clogging it up and not even letting it get to her,” Sallee said. “Between what we did with her and what we did with Krewson…there’s a reason they only had 44 points.”
Barroilhet’s inability to score tricked down to most of her teammates, as Kent State only took 32 shots, making just 13 of them.
Only five players from Kent State had baskets, compared to eight for Ball State. Much of the credit goes to Sallee’s defense, whose constant pressure kept the Golden Flashes on their heels.
“This is probably the most straight up we’ve played anybody all year,” Sallee said. “We got out and pressured the ball, sat in gaps, got in strong help…the kids are starting to understand the identity that we have to play to.”
Part of that identity is forcing turnovers and taking advantage of them. Ball State forced 35 turnovers, the most in over four years, and had 31 points off them.
The defense played by Ball State guard Brandy Woody was a key part of Ball State’s win. Matched up against Mendelsohn for the majority of the game, Woody forced eight turnovers, leaving Mendelsohn looking frustrated on occasion.
Woody spent much of the game playing aggressive defense against Mendelsohn, which led to several steals and bad passes.
“I’ve been in her position so I know what big MAC games are like, if someone pressures you, you kind of freak out,” Woody said. “I knew that I could really frustrate her and get her to turn the ball over.”
Woody herself forced 7 turnovers, a career high. She attributed it to the style of defense that Sallee preaches.
That defense is forcing on average, just over 21 turnovers a game.
“This game we ended up just playing nose-up hardcore defense and that’s what it takes to turn someone over.” Woody said.
The rugged style of defense that Sallee employs was one of the reasons Kent State had just one player scoring in double figures.
Mendelsohn, who led Kent State with 17 points, was put in a bad position late in the second half.
Facing an intentional foul situation, several seconds ticked off the clock because she was sitting on 4 fouls. As Woody took the ball up the court, she was unable to foul her because another would mean fouling out of the game.
Mendelsohn was the only scoring threat for Kent State throughout the game, as her teammates combined to shoot just 7-of-21.
“We work long and hard at the other teams offenses,” Sallee said. “You’re going to have to do something a little bit special to get an easy one, and that’s the toughness that I want these kids thinking about when they’re on that end of the floor.”
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