Entering the second half of Ball State's game against Northern Illinois, the Cardinals faced a similar situation to one they had in their most recent loss.
Ball State headed into the locker room at halftime Sunday afternoon with a seven-point lead over Western Michigan. In the second half, the Broncos rallied to secure a win, and coach Kelly Packard said her team folded.
Facing Mid-American Conference West foe Northern Illinois on Wednesday night, Ball State was pushed once more in the second half as it carried a lead. This time, the Cardinals fought back and held on for a 50-43 victory over the Huskies.
"This team needed to feel that again," Packard said. "[They] needed to feel in the lead [with] a team coming back and what are we going to do this time? Can we make a stand? Can we get some rebounds? Can we do just enough?"
The answer to Packard's questions was ‘yes' to all of the above.
The Cardinals scored five 3-point field goals in the first half against the Huskies. Sophomore guard Jordan Huber sank two jumpers from beyond the arc while sophomore forward Jazmin Hitchens added another pair from long range.
"Jordan played really well in the first half," Packard said.
Hitchens also shined in the rebounding department. For the night, Hitchens tied freshman Brittany Carter for the team-lead in rebounds with six.
Packard said she would like to see Hitchens tally around eight rebounds per game, but she was content with the effort.
"I've really been challenging [Jazmin] to be more of a presence on the glass," Packard said.
Much like Sunday, the Cardinals headed into the intermission with a 12-point advantage over their opponent. And the Huskies slowly chipped away at the deficit, eventually taking a 41-39 lead with 4:33 remaining in the game.
In need of someone to step up and take control of the game, senior co-captain forward Suzanne Grossnickle stepped up to grab that role. Grossnickle scored three consecutive baskets, including a short-range jumper and a free throw to give the Cardinals a 47-43 lead with under a minute left.
Following the game, Grossnickle said other teams often underestimate her offensive abilities.
"Since I'm 6-foot-3, most people think that I don't shoot because most 6-foot-3 people don't shoot from the outside," Grossnickle said. "But I practice and my confidence is there with outside shots."
That was all the Cardinals (7-9, 2-1) needed to secure their second MAC win of the season and seventh overall.
"We're just going to keep clawing at it," Packard said. "We're not very pretty to watch, but we're getting better. We're winning, 2-1 in the MAC."
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