Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
24-6,15-2MAC
Ohio University
15-12,9-7MAC
Cardinals Edge Bobcats in Senior Day Thriller at Worthen Arena
February 28, 2026 | Women's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – In a game that lived up to the high stakes of Senior Day, the Ball State women's basketball team (24-6, 15-2 MAC) secured a gritty 86-85 victory over the Ohio Bobcats (15-12, 9-6 MAC) on Saturday afternoon in Worthen Arena.
The win marks the Cardinals' ninth-consecutive victory over Ohio and ensures a perfect send-off for the program's seniors in their final regular-season home appearance.
Grace Kingery powered the Cardinals with a career-best 24 points, matching her personal record by sinking seven 3-pointers. Tessa Towers followed with 19 points, while Bree Salenbien and Alba Caballero contributed 12 each to secure the win. Notably, Salenbien flirted with a triple-double, racking up a career-high 11 assists and eight rebounds.
Both teams stumbled out of the gate, struggling to find an offensive rhythm in a sloppy start. Ball State's early turnover trouble allowed Ohio to claim a quick 4-2 lead, but a clutch triple from Salenbien ignited the Cardinals' MAC-leading offense. By the media timeout, BSU had surged ahead 15-9. Despite a few lingering miscues that kept the Bobcats within striking distance, Ball State maintained its composure to end the first quarter with a 22-17 advantage.
Ohio surged in the second quarter, tying the game at 27-27 with 5:35 remaining as Ball State struggled with turnovers. Despite finding openings in the paint, the Cardinals failed to capitalize on their usual offensive strengths. However, a late surge fueled by a Grace Kingery three-pointer and her last-minute layup allowed Ball State to reclaim a narrow 38-37 lead by halftime.
The Cardinals surged to a 44-37 lead early in the third quarter following a 7-0 run fueled by baskets from Tessa Towers and Aniss Tagayi. Although persistent turnovers hindered their offensive rhythm, Alba Caballero dominated the paint with eight field goals in the period. Supported by two Bree Salenbien free throws to close out the third, the Cardinals established a 60-52 advantage over the Ohio Bobcats heading into the final ten minutes.
Ohio sparked an 8-0 run to start the fourth, but Kingery's sharpshooting from downtown quickly regained control for Ball State. The Cardinals' momentum surged as Karsyn Norman's pull-up jumper extended the lead to 72-60, energizing the home crowd.
However, Ohio refused to fold, utilizing relentless three-point shooting to claw back within a single point.
The closing seconds turned into a shootout as Kingery buried her seventh triple to make it 81-79, only for the Bobcats to answer with their 14th longball of the game, making it 83-82 with 37 seconds left. A clutch bucket from Towers gave BSU some breathing room before Kingery hauled in a critical defensive rebound on Ohio's final attempt. Forced to foul, Ohio sent Kingery to the line, where she sank both free throws to ice the victory.
The Ball State women's basketball team has a bye week to regroup before their regular-season finale against Toledo on Saturday, March 7. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET at Savage Arena.
