There are differences ? some of them pretty big ? but also, there are striking similarities in Ball State's two CollegeInsider.com Tournament victories.
In the first half of a double-overtime win at Tennessee State, Ball State shot 5 of 29 from the floor, missing even the most wide-open attempts. The Cardinals played hard, head coach James Whitford says, despite falling behind 20-3 in the opening half of the team's first postseason game since 2002. They played "the right way."
That changed in Sunday's overtime win at Worthen Arena versus the University of Tennessee at Martin, when Ball State was outworked early on. The visiting Skyhawks played with a little more grit, a sharper mental focus and took an early rebounding advantage en route to a 37-31 halftime lead.
"I thought each game kind of told a different story," Whitford said. "Against Tennessee-Martin, we didn't come out with the right energy. I thought they came out the hungrier team, the more competitive team. Those are the ones that I think frustrate you as a coach."
So while these 16- and 17-point comeback wins have been exciting as maybe any game all season for the Cardinals ? who play Wednesday night at Columbia University in New York City in the CIT quarterfinals ? Whitford is looking for his players to stay mentally sharp. It's tough in basketball, a game of runs, to perform at a high level for 40 minutes. But falling behind by nearly 20 points, that's a different story.
"Whether it starts in the beginning of the game or late in the game," Whitford said, "I think that's something you're trying to always have, is a consistent level of effort."
As for the similarities between the two games?
It's been the steady play of an already-experienced group of underclassmen: Jeremie Tyler; Francis Kiapway; Sean Sellers and Trey Moses. In that first game, Ball State's young core scored 52 of its 78 points and pulled down 29 of 51 rebounds.
Against Tennessee-Martin, they combined to score 47 of Ball State's 83 points. Bo Calhoun, a senior forward that had started all but two games this year, was replaced in the opening lineup by Moses, a freshman center who went on to notch 12 points and six boards.
And of course, there was Sellers. He scored seven of his 17 points in overtime, stepping up when Ball State needed it most in a back-and-forth game.
"That was a great sign," Whitford said. "No question, our young guys have gotten a lot better over the course of the year, and I think this experience is invaluable for them."
In the first half of a double-overtime win at Tennessee State, Ball State shot 5 of 29 from the floor, missing even the most wide-open attempts. The Cardinals played hard, head coach James Whitford says, despite falling behind 20-3 in the opening half of the team's first postseason game since 2002. They played "the right way."
That changed in Sunday's overtime win at Worthen Arena versus the University of Tennessee at Martin, when Ball State was outworked early on. The visiting Skyhawks played with a little more grit, a sharper mental focus and took an early rebounding advantage en route to a 37-31 halftime lead.
"I thought each game kind of told a different story," Whitford said. "Against Tennessee-Martin, we didn't come out with the right energy. I thought they came out the hungrier team, the more competitive team. Those are the ones that I think frustrate you as a coach."
So while these 16- and 17-point comeback wins have been exciting as maybe any game all season for the Cardinals ? who play Wednesday night at Columbia University in New York City in the CIT quarterfinals ? Whitford is looking for his players to stay mentally sharp. It's tough in basketball, a game of runs, to perform at a high level for 40 minutes. But falling behind by nearly 20 points, that's a different story.
"Whether it starts in the beginning of the game or late in the game," Whitford said, "I think that's something you're trying to always have, is a consistent level of effort."
As for the similarities between the two games?
It's been the steady play of an already-experienced group of underclassmen: Jeremie Tyler; Francis Kiapway; Sean Sellers and Trey Moses. In that first game, Ball State's young core scored 52 of its 78 points and pulled down 29 of 51 rebounds.
Against Tennessee-Martin, they combined to score 47 of Ball State's 83 points. Bo Calhoun, a senior forward that had started all but two games this year, was replaced in the opening lineup by Moses, a freshman center who went on to notch 12 points and six boards.
And of course, there was Sellers. He scored seven of his 17 points in overtime, stepping up when Ball State needed it most in a back-and-forth game.
"That was a great sign," Whitford said. "No question, our young guys have gotten a lot better over the course of the year, and I think this experience is invaluable for them."
