Tracy Roller sat in her chair and leaned over the post-game press table as her hand rested on her chin, almost as if to catch the words as she spoke.
Following her team's 76-71 loss to Indiana University, a contest in which Ball State University led by 16 in the first half, Roller looked more than bummed out. After beginning the last two years 5-0, the loss dropped Roller's team to 1-2, the Cardinals' worst start to a season since 2003-2004.
"The competitor in me is really upset because it's not like we've been blown out by 30 either game," Roller said of Ball State's losses to Indiana and the University of Louisville. "We just haven't found our identity yet. We're still looking for who we are. We're still looking for what we are."
The Cardinals trailed 69-59 when they seemed to get a boost in energy. Though Ball State never led down the stretch, it cut the Hoosiers' lead to 71-67 with 25 seconds remaining in the game.
Rather than being pleased with the way her team battled back, Roller was upset with her team that it took so long to find a sense of urgency.
"We talked in the post game about the inconsistency that we had," Ball State senior captain Julie DeMuth said. "We waited too long to get that sense of urgency. When you're down 10 points that late, it's not impossible to come back but it's pretty hard."
Tied at 13 midway through the first half, the Cardinals went on a 20-4 run to open their biggest lead of the game at 33-17 with 6:38 remaining in the opening period. However, the Hoosiers countered with a 19-5 run, narrowing Ball State's lead to 38-36 at the end of the first half. The Cardinals never regained control of the game, and their largest lead in the second half was four points.
"Whenever you're playing a postseason type team, you know you're going to make runs and they're going to make runs," Roller said. "You have to stop the run, and we didn't."
DeMuth led four Cardinals players that scored in double figures with 24 points and added 11 rebounds to record her first double-double of the season. Three Hoosiers finished in double figures, led by Jamie Braun's 24 points and team-high six assists.
Saturday's game was the 18th consecutive time Indiana has beaten Ball State's women's basketball team. The Cardinals haven't beaten the Hoosiers since March of 1978.
As disappointing as the loss was, junior point guard Kiley Jarrett, a Bloomington native, said the team won't have any trouble moving past it.
"It's a learning experience we have to take advantage of, and that starts now," Jarrett said. "There's been two missed opportunities now, and it's time to start making something of them. We can't dwell on this. It's one game, and we have to move on and learn from it."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
