Ball State has turned season around in MAC play

The Daily News

Junior guard Brandy Woody pushes toward the paint for a layup attempt against Ohio University Jan. 26 in Worthen Arena. Woody was the lead scorer for the Cardinals in their victory over the Bobcats. DN FILE PHOTO JONATHAN MIKSANEK
Junior guard Brandy Woody pushes toward the paint for a layup attempt against Ohio University Jan. 26 in Worthen Arena. Woody was the lead scorer for the Cardinals in their victory over the Bobcats. DN FILE PHOTO JONATHAN MIKSANEK

Coming out of Winter Break, the Ball State women’s basketball team was 3-10, and had just suffered its seventh loss in eight games. Since that mark, the team has gone 5-1, all against conference foes.


Before the break, the team was scoring 58.5 points per game and consistently looked too small to compete against non-conference opponents.


However, throughout the Mid-American Conference schedule slate of games, Ball State has averaged 61 points per game.


The 5-1 start is the best opening to conference Ball State has had since the 2008-09 season, where the team finished its MAC play 14-2. That team went on to famously beat Tennessee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.


According to coach Brady Sallee, the difference in play didn’t just start when the ball tipped off against Miami (OH) in Ball State’s first MAC game.


“Honestly, I think it was before conference play,” Sallee said. “I think it was against Wyoming. I thought we played to the gameplan, I thought we played hard, we competed with a really good team. We just didn’t make some plays down the stretch.”


Ball State lost to Wyoming 64-61 in mid-December. Junior forward Katie Murphy led the team with 16 points. Sophomore Brittany Carter scored 11 points, off her 3-of-7 shooting from downrange.


Sallee points to practice habits being improved as a reason behind the team’s improved play.


“They simply went out to become a better practice team,” Sallee said. “Now you can just focus on playing like you practice every day. You didn’t have to be supernatural. You didn’t have to do anything better on gameday than you did every day during the week. ... There’s been definitely a metamorphosis with the way our season’s gone, but it started before the wins were coming. The team stuck with it and to their credit, good things are starting to happen for them.”


When Sallee coached at Eastern Illinois before Ball State, his teams’ conference record was consistently better than their non-conference record.


“They don’t hand trophies out for the pre-conference portion of your schedule,” Sallee said. 


Sallee said that his team simply had better talent a lot of the time at Eastern Illinois.


One player that is reaping the benefits of the team’s winning is point guard Brandy Woody.


“It’s awesome,” Woody said of the quick MAC start. “Starting the season was a little rough, but then once we entered conference play and got the first wins. We’re kind of on a roll right now. I’m excited to see what comes next.”


Despite the 5-1 start to conference play, Sallee still sees room to grow for Ball State.


“I hope we’re not hitting our stride yet,” he said. “I think we have a lot of basketball left. I see a lot of room for improvement ... And now it’s going to be up to them, to come to work every day and be a sponge. And not want to say ’Let’s just keep doing it the same way; it’s working.’ We have to find a way to continue to get better.” 


Ball State has a difficult stretch of games ahead. After road games against Western Michigan and Eastern Michigan, the team will return home to play Central Michigan and Toledo.


Central Michigan and Toledo are No. 1 and No. 2 in the MAC West, respectively. Central Michigan is 6-0 in the conference, with Toledo just one step behind at 5-1 in the MAC. In fact, Toledo’s only conference loss came in a seven-point loss to Central Michigan.


Wins against Central Michigan and Toledo would go a long way toward Ball State establishing its place in the MAC West.


“January basketball is about positioning yourself. February basketball is about winning leagues,” Sallee said. “We’ve positioned ourselves and now we have to come out in February and we have to amp it up. We have to be better. We have to know what we’re after. If we can get ourselves to the end of February in the right shape and thinking the right way, then I like this team going into March.”



WOODY’S AWARD


Due to her play in the previous two games, Woody has earned the MAC-West Player of the Week.


“I was tickled to death,“ Sallee said. “There’s no doubt that she earned it ... For what we’re trying to do with the program, I think it’s great recognition not only for her, but for us. You’re talking about a kid who earned it. She earned every nickel of that award. For her to be the first one in my time here is special.”


Sallee said he knew that she had won it before practice today, but it wasn’t talked about or discussed among the team. He didn’t even know if Woody knew at the time. 


Woody earned the award for her play in Ball State’s last pair of games, at Buffalo and at home against Ohio.


She set new career highs against Buffalo by scoring 29 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and playing 40 minutes. 


Woody was also the main scoring threat against Ohio on Saturday. She put up 23 points and dished out six assists in the blowout 77-46 win.


“The exciting thing is not necessarily all the points and all those things, it’s just how hard she’s playing,” Sallee said. “I find it hard to believe there’s anybody playing as hard as that kid is on a night-in night-out basis. There’s a lot of good players in the league, but I don’t any of them mean to their teams what she means to ours. That’s when you know you have something special.”

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