Game statistics
Moriah Monaco points: 28
Monaco points per game (before EMU game): 10.8
Ball State three-point shooting: 12-26 (46.2 percent)
Ball State average three-point shooting: 5.8-18.1 (31.8 percent)
Fontaine watch
Tamara Bowie career points (Ball State record): 2,091
Nathalie Fontaine career points: 2,069
Monaco was 8-15 (53.3 percent) from beyond the arc in the game and hit the go-ahead 3-point shot with 52 seconds remaining in the game.
Though Monaco is listed as a forward, Sallee said "she's the best guard on the floor." Junior Jill Morrison sat out against the Eagles with an injured foot, but the Cardinals' versatility helped them pull out a win and clinch a bye in the MAC Tournament.
"So to see [Monaco] step up the way she did, I couldn’t be prouder of her," Sallee said. "And it’s the player she wants to be, that’s what makes it so gratifying. She works so hard to be that player. I hope it catapults her into a great end of the year."
Senior guard Nathalie Fontaine scored 14 points and led Ball State with 12 rebounds. She's now just 22 points behind Tamara Bowie for the Cardinals' all-time scoring record.
Sallee said winning without relying on Fontaine, who came in averaging 19.3 points points per game, was an important step for the Cardinals.
“We needed this one because we did it tonight without [Fontaine] going crazy,” he said. “[Fontaine] was good, but they did a great job against her and some other people stepped up.”
Other players, like senior forward Shelby Merder, had an impact without necessarily dominating the stat sheet.
Merder scored 9 points without hauling in a rebound or being credited with an assist, but Sallee said the charge she took with 3:40 remaining in the game killed Eastern Michigan’s momentum.
“That’s what you hope for seniors as they’re going down the stretch, he said. "Being able to be in those games and make those plays, seeing Shelby step up, take a big charge and get us the ball back – just a nip-and-tuck game.”
With two regular season games remaining, the Cardinals are two games behind MAC West Division leader Central Michigan. However, Ball State gets an automatic bye to the quarterfinals in Cleveland, Ohio for the MAC Tournament.
Ball State will return to action Wednesday, March 2 when it hosts Northern Illinois for Senior Night in Worthen Arena. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m.
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