Head coach Tracy Roller led the Ball State women's basketball team to a 2-0 start for the first time in her four years at the helm this past weekend at the Seton Hall Tournament.
With help from every player Ball State defeated Wagner 85-46 on Friday and then Seton Hall 71-69 on Saturday.
"Something happened huge to everybody," Roller said. "It just solidified the fact that we need to have the entire team to be successful this year."
The most surprising performance of the weekend came from freshman Julie DeMuth who scored 21 points, pulled down 12 rebounds and nabbed four steals in her first collegiate game against Wagner. She entered the game after sophomore Becca Bajorek, who started the game, got in foul trouble.
The Cardinals had three others in double figures against Wagner. Senior Kate Endress had 17 and sophomores Kelsey Corbin and Tina Bolte notched 12 and 11 points, respectively.
Corbin also added two steals and eight rebounds, while Endress added three steals and four rebounds in a game that Roller said gave her team a lot of confidence.
Ball State got out to a 7-2 lead early against Wagner, but it scored nine straight to take the Cardinals' advantage away. DeMuth's two free-throws gave the team a 13-11 lead that they would not relinquish.
"Our running game was really working against them," Roller said. "When we have that transition we're difficult to stop."
On Saturday Ball State relied on Endress to lead the team. She finished with 19 points, which led all scorers.
Seton Hall started the game with two free throws and later got its largest advantage of the game at 10-4. The Cardinals slowly chipped away at the lead and Endress's 3-pointer with 11:47 remaining in the first half got the team within one.
Hampton later gave the team an advantage they would not give up until later in the second half. Ball State closed the half on an 8-0 run to take a 44-31 advantage into the break, but Seton Hall came out and went on a 20-7 run to tie the game at 51.
Seton Hall got a five-point lead, but BSU closed out the game strong, leading the final 6:43.
"It was another amazing team concept," Roller said. "As well as we played in the first half I thought we were at midseason form."
Endress scored 19 against Seton Hall and was named the tournament MVP, although Roller said if she had to pick she would have picked the whole team. Bolte and DeMuth also made the all-tournament team.
"Kate was huge for us all weekend," Roller said. "The team just feeds off of her."
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