by MUNCIE, Ind. — In trouble Saturday afternoon, Ball State women’s basketball answered the call.
This came as the Cardinals trailed Troy 85-74 with 4:28 remaining in the Mid-American Conference (MAC) vs Sun Belt Conference (SBC) Challenge contest. In front of a loud and energetic crowd inside Worthen Arena, head coach Brady Sallee was not sure if his team could make the comeback.
When he walked into the post-game press conference, he only had one reaction.
“How about that?” he said. “I’m not really sure how we pulled that out.”
To end the game, Ball State (19-5, 10-1 MAC) went on a 13-1 run and finished the contest outscoring the Trojans (19-5, 10-2 SBC) 9-0 in the final two minutes. Then, as the Cardinals trailed 86-84 with six seconds remaining on the clock, senior forward Bree Salenbien found freshman guard Zhen Verburgt for a wide-open 3-point shot.
Swish.
The crowd went awol, and the public address announcer screamed ‘BANG’ as the ball fell through. With 5.7 seconds left on the clock, Ball State’s defense held on to capture the victory.
“You have to try and make that shot, and if it’s not in, you just run back on defense,” Verburgt said. “We had one timeout left, so we could just play defense. I was just hoping it went in.”
But while they were victorious on the court, the Cardinals were also trying to do so off the hardwood. The matchup served as the program’s “Think Pink” game and is part of the Play4Kay initiative, a program started in 2006.
It is a cause that women’s college basketball as a whole honors. The mission is to raise funds for all types of cancer that affect women, and hopefully, find a cure.
The Cardinals have been taking part in the event since 2018, and before the game, Sallee spoke about the significance of his team’s role.
“It’s a pretty important day for all of us who have been in the business,” Sallee said. “I think it goes without saying, the effect that cancer has had on so many people. As a sport, it’s kind of been the one cause that we all can agree on and really bring not only the funds that are raised for research, but also just awareness for people.”
Leading up to the event, the Cardinals held a silent auction that included a team autographed basketball, a pink Ball State prize pack, and a pair of Kay Yow Kobe Six sneakers.
The team asked fans to wear pink while attending the game, and both the Cardinals and Trojans wore black and pink warm-up shirts. The entire Ball State roster and coaching staff also donned the same pair of shoes that were being auctioned off, while the Cardinals’ cheerleading squad used pink and white pom poms.
Even the officials used pink whistles to make their calls.
Sallee said the growth of women’s basketball in recent years has helped elevate the sport’s platform for causes such as this one. During their last home game Wednesday, Feb. 4, the Cardinals took the time to recognize all female athletes at Ball State for National Girls and Women in Sports Day.
“All of us put in the same amount of work in whatever sport and skill we’re trying to perfect. I just think for the young females out there who are seeing swimmers, gymnasts, softball players and basketball players, they can find themselves in any of those people,” Sallee said. “Those are the things that motivate kids and make them want to, one day, do what we do. I think it’s just a big responsibility.”
Following the action, Ball State junior guard Karsyn Norman spoke on what it meant to them to play for something other than themselves.
“I think it adds even more meaning to it, which sounds kind of cliche. But it really does,” Norman said. “We all love wearing pink, and we had fun with it, obviously. Then you look at the crowd, and you see people [in pink] who aren’t always there.”
When it came to the on-court matter at hand, the Cardinals and Trojans threw jab after jab as the first quarter ended with Troy leading 22-18. During the second quarter, Ball State’s ability to share the ball made positive strides and helped them take a 44-40 lead at halftime.
Despite junior guard Grace Kingery hitting back-to-back 3-point shots to open the second half, Troy did not surrender. The Trojans trailed 57-49 at the 6:52 mark, but fought their way back and cut the Ball State lead to 63-61 with 3:16 to go in the third quarter.
Up to this point, the game was physical and menacing.
The Trojans are ranked as the No. 1 team in the nation for offensive rebounds, averaging 16.3 per game. They won the rebound battle 49-41, and that took full effect at the end of the third quarter. Troy ended the frame on a 7-0 run, and then scored six-straight points to continue the 13-0 streak. This helped the Trojans take a 74-66 lead in the first few minutes of the final period.
Sallee took a timeout with 8:59 left in the game, and he told his team one thing.
“I literally looked at them and told them that we have to rebound,” Sallee said. “I literally just called a timeout to tell you that we have to get rebounds. For days, we’ve been talking about it.”
But Troy continued to roll and had a 10-point lead under five minutes. After Norman scored four straight points, the game-winning run kicked off, and it concluded when Verburgt sent the Trojans home with her triple.
Senior center Tessa Towers led the way with 19 points and nine rebounds. Junior guard Grace Kingery followed with 17 points on 5-for-10 3-point shooting. Norman had nine points and five assists while Verburgt finished with seven points and eight rebounds.
Before the season, Sallee made sure that everyone knew this team was not the same roster that won last year’s MAC regular season and tournament title.
Yet, they are winning in the same fashion.
“I didn’t say don’t expect success. I said don’t expect the same team, and we’re not. What we tried to do was go get high-character kids with talent levels and skill sets that fit the way our culture is built,” Sallee said. “We did it right, and we did it from a character standpoint. We got some tremendous people in that locker room. Really, really tremendous people,
“I’m thrilled with that part of it, because they just like to let me coach. And it doesn’t turn into anything it doesn’t need to be. But I think all of us together can go out and perform.”
Ball State will next travel for a Tuesday, Feb. 10 matchup with Eastern Michigan. The game will start at 6:30 p.m.
Though the Cardinals are currently the No. 2 team in the MAC, Norman and Verburgt said they need to continue that fire in their final seven league games. However, while doing so, Sallee wants them to understand how lucky they are that they even get the opportunity to play basketball and to compete in a game like that.
“I’m the world’s worst at losing perspective sometimes,” he said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that even on those tough days where you get beat, don’t play well or something does not go your way, we’re really lucky to do what we do.
“I just look at how I can get lost really easily, and I think for a young person, it’s good to learn that lesson early. There are other things out there that are way more important than a basketball going in a hoop.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
