Cardinals Conquer Rockets in Regular Season Finale; Secure No. 2 Seed for MAC Tournament

Saturday, March 7

Toledo, OH

2 pm

Ball State University

25-6,16-2MAC

University of Toledo

15-14,9-9MAC

Ball St.

Toledo

Cardinals Conquer Rockets in Regular Season Finale; Secure No. 2 Seed for MAC Tournament

March 07, 2026 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

TOLEDO, Ohio - The Ball State women's basketball team closed out the 2025-26 regular season with an exclamation point on Saturday afternoon, defeating arch-rival Toledo 78-71 at John F. Savage Arena. The victory marks the Cardinals' 25th win of the season and solidifies their position as the No. 2 seed heading into next week's Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament.

In a high-stakes rematch of the 2025 MAC Championship game, Ball State (25-6, 16-2 MAC) relied on a dominant interior presence to overcome the Rockets (15-14, 9-9 MAC). The Cardinals outscored Toledo 40-16 in the paint and controlled the glass with a 50-38 rebounding advantage.

Tessa Towers anchored the interior for Ball State, sparking a 47% team shooting performance with a dominant 22-point, 12-rebound showing—her 10th double-double this season. Supporting the offense, Zhen Verburgt and Karsyn Norman added 14 and 11 points, respectively. Bree Salenbien capped the balanced attack, posting 10 points and 10 boards for her seventh double-double of the year.

The regular-season finale in Toledo served as an ideal preparation for the Ball State Cardinals, who secured a victory to lock in the No. 2 seed for next week's Mid-American Conference Tournament. Although Towers put Ball State on the board first with an early layup, the game quickly evolved into a back-and-forth struggle with their rivals. The lead exchanged hands multiple times, with the Cardinals stretching their advantage to seven points (14-7) midway through the first quarter following another interior basket by Towers. However, the Toledo Rockets rallied before the media timeout, closing the gap to take an 18-16 lead by the end of the period.

A flurry of quick shots under the basket sparked a Ball State run, as Tagayi hooked up with Salenbien to put the Cardinals up 23-18 in the second quarter. The momentum held through the break; bolstered by a clutch triple from bench standout Verburgt, Ball State headed to the locker room leading Toledo, 35-26.

Following the intermission, the Cardinals maintained their momentum, clearly intent on finishing the regular season with a statement win. Ball State dominated the third quarter, firing on all cylinders as Towers and Salenbien proved impossible for the Rockets to contain inside. Capping off the frame with another Verburgt bucket, the Cardinals carried a commanding 56-39 lead into the final stretch.

Ball State effectively sealed its 25th win of the year after building a dominant 62-43 lead with just over seven minutes remaining, capped by a layup from Towers. Toledo was unable to recover from the nearly 20-point deficit, allowing the Cardinals to potentially claim a share of the 2026 MAC regular-season crown. The team's fate now rests on the outcome of the Miami vs. Ohio contest, scheduled for a 6 p.m. ET tip-off tonight in Athens, Ohio.

The Ball State women's basketball team is set to defend its 2025 MAC Tournament title this week in Cleveland. As the No. 2 seed, the Cardinals will compete in a quarterfinal matchup against the No. 7 seed at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Wednesday, March 11, in the third game of the day.