With starting point guard Kelsey Corbin unable to participate in the two practices before Saturday's game against Akron, freshman Kiley Jarrett knew there was a good chance she might start.
Jarrett made the most of her first career start, scoring 13 points and dishing out eight assists in Ball State University's 67-66 win.
"Coach just told me to step up, and this was my time," Jarrett said. "I was more hyped than anything. I wasn't really that nervous."
Jarrett hit three 3-pointers and was 5 of 10 from the field. Her 13 points tied a career high set against North Dakota State on Nov. 27.
Perhaps the most important of Jarrett's eight assists occurred on the Cardinals' last possession. With Ball State (11-7, 4-3 Mid-American Conference) trailing 66-64, Jarrett hit Tina Bolte on the right wing for a game-winning 3-pointer.
Akron had 8.5 seconds left, but a shot inside the lane hit the back of the rim and bounced out.
"That whole last minute was just surreal," coach Tracy Roller said. "We finally did everything that we needed to do. It just took us until the last two possessions to get to that point."
Erica Cotton hit a 3-pointer on the possession before Bolte's three, which pulled Ball State to within a point of the lead. Akron's Jessica Deville then hit 1 of 2 free throws to give the Zips a 66-64 lead.
Corbin missed the game with tendinitis in her feet. Roller said Corbin needed the rest and expects her to return on Tuesday against Ohio.
Jarrett played a team-high 36 minutes. Roller said the Cards didn't miss a beat with Jarrett starting instead of Corbin.
"For a freshman, I didn't think she looked nervous," Roller said. "In my opinion, she was ready for the challenge. I thought she really stepped up."
Cotton scored a career-high 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, scoring 12 points after halftime when the Cardinals needed them most.
Ball State held a 34-28 lead at halftime, but a 9-2 Akron run at the start of the second half gave the Zips their first lead since the start of the game. Akron (3-15, 0-7 MAC) shot 58 percent from the floor in the second half while Ball State shot just 36 percent.
Cotton said the Cards had to step up their play against the scrappy Zips.
"I think we showed a lot of heart in the second half," Cotton said. "At halftime coach kind of ripped us for our effort and execution. It showed a lot of about our team's character that we didn't let it faze us and we still pulled it out in the end."
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