The Ball State women’s basketball team ended its regular season with a 69-56 victory over Toledo tonight. The team secured the No. 5 seed in the Mid-American Conference Tournament and sent its two seniors out in style with the win.
Seniors Katie Murphy and Brandy Woody have seen it all in their four-year careers at Ball State. Memories of a 9-21 freshman campaign were overshadowed following Saturday’s victory.
“To go down a path that we have since our freshman year, where we are just not winning, to beating Toledo on senior night and having that kind of turnaround is just everything you want for your senior year,” Murphy said.
In tonight’s game, Ball State met Toledo for the second time this season. A loss in the first game set the teams up for a rematch that would determine seeding in the MAC Tournament.
The Cardinals took the lead after six minutes in the first period. Junior guard Shelbie Justice hit a three-point field goal to give Ball State a 7-5 lead over Toledo.
Ball State maintained control throughout the first period and entered the break holding a 27-15 advantage. Despite building a 17-point lead in the second half, Ball State’s advantage was two points with 4:05 remaining in the game.
The Cardinals contained the surge and reclaimed a comfortable lead in the closing minutes. It was then that Woody began to reflect on her career at Ball State.
Head coach Brady Sallee called timeout before pulling Woody out of the game. She was welcomed to the sideline by teammates as the crowd’s standing ovation took control of Worthen Arena.
“Going to the bench and hugging the coaches and the players, that is just so bittersweet,” she said. “I never thought I’d make it to this day.”
The two seniors were honored before the game with a brief ceremony to congratulate them on their careers at Ball State.
With standing ovations for Woody and Murphy both before and after the game, the two seniors said they couldn’t be more proud of walking off the court on Senior Day with a win.
“Winning the game today means a lot,” Woody said. “Everyone contributed and did their job.”
The seniors are now faced with leading Ball State into another home game against Kent State on Monday night. The two teams will face off with a spot in Cleveland for round two of the MAC Tournament on the line.
Murphy said she isn’t ready to close the books on her career just yet.
“Our teammates gave us everything we wanted and more on senior night,” she said. “They know our goals going into the tournament and I have no doubt that they’ll get us to where we want to go.”
Sallee knew this moment was big for Woody and Murphy.
He said he holds an appreciation for the growth of the program over the last four years and said the seniors were big contributors.
“The legacy that they leave in my mind is back to when I first got this job and the way they accepted me,” Sallee said. “That was worth its weight in gold.”
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