The only blemish on the season against Mid-American Conference West opponents for the Ball State University women's basketball team came against Northern Illinois on Jan. 21 when the Huskies handed the Cardinals their first conference loss.
Ball State (20-8, 12-2 MAC) looks to even the season series against the Huskies (14-13, 9-5 MAC) at 7 p.m. in Worthen Arena on senior night.
Coach Kelly Packard said one of the reasons that Northern Illinois beat Ball State the first time around was due to rotation issues.
"That was a game where we left Patrice King here," Packard said. "She was coming off of a bruised heel, so she didn't make the trip at all. And Danielle [Gratton] obviously went out two and a half minutes in to the game with a broken nose and that limited her to, I believe, 20 minutes of play."
Gratton finished the game with 10 points and four rebounds - both less than her average - due to the limited play caused by her injury. Since the injury, Gratton has played with a protective mask to limit further injury.
"That left us in a situation where we had groups of people on the floor that we just really didn't have a lot of experience and chemistry with, quite honestly," Packard said.
Ball State also had a problem with Northern Illinois's post players, Packard said.
"What stands out to me even more than just maybe some inconsistency with our rotation, we really had a difficult time with a couple of their post players, mainly Ebony Ellis and Mauvolyene Adams," Packard said. "Just their effort on the glass."
Ellis, a 6-foot-3 sophomore center, had nine points and five rebounds in 18 minutes of play. Adams, a 6-foot sophomore forward, was a rebound away from a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds, five being offensive rebounds.
Packard said Ball State has been improving with its rebounding but she wants to see more consistency.
"We have to continue to win the rebounding category of the stats sheet," Packard said. "That's going to be crucial for us from now to our very last game."
Packard said guard Audrey McDonald's performance stood out to her in the loss against Northern Illinois as well. McDonald shot 1-10 from behind the arc, finishing with five points and five assists against the Broncos. Since that game, McDonald has shot 43.2 percent from the 3-point line in conference play.
Tonight's meeting against Northern Illinois will be the last game for three Cardinals in Worthen Arena. Packard said the three seniors are so valued by the team and coaching staff, and they all bring a different element to the team.
"The thing we'll miss most about Dana [Moorman] is obviously just her positive personality," Packard said. "Every day is one that Dana sees as a great day."
Moorman, a guard/forward has seen limited action this season, but Packard said she is unselfish and "does all the things a great teammate should do."
For guard Kiley Jarrett, Packard said Jarrett is highly competitive and energetic. The coach also said Jarrett just loves to win and loves to compete. Packard said some of the expressions throughout a practice or game that Jarrett made are ones she'd miss.
"Obviously the floor general role that [Jarrett] has been is one that every coaching staff loves to have - a floor general that truly plays that role," Packard said.
Jarrett has started every game this season for the Cardinals and is averaging 10.4 points and 4.4 assists per game in conference play.
Packard said guard Porchia Green will be missed because of her many gifts as a basketball player and her consistency.
"Porchia practices exactly the way she plays in a game," Packard said. "She's a great teammate, again unselfish. She is going to walk away with a lot of acknowledgements and accolades."
Green has also started every game this season and is averaging 12.8 points per game in conference play. She also averages 7.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game against MAC opponents.
"I think nearly every student on this campus probably knows who Porchia Green is," Packard said. "She just has a very vibrant personality."
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