The Ball State Cardinals are the 2025 Mid-American Conference (MAC) Tournament champions and will head to the big dance.
Ball State has undeniably been the best team in the MAC all season and that certainly didn’t change in the MAC Tournament.
Brady Sallee coached his team to victories over Western Michigan, Kent State, and Toledo en route to their second MAC Tournament championship in program history, and first in 16 years.
Quarterfinals
1. Ball State (24-7, 16-2 MAC) vs. 8. Western Michigan (12-17, 8-10 MAC)
Ball State started off their championship run by annihilating Western Michigan by 29 points. The Broncos’ main problem all season was defense and it was no different in this opening round loss as Ball State put up 82 points on WMU.
Ball State’s senior center Marie Kiefer was a force to be reckoned with, putting up a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double in the win to push the Cardinals to the semifinals.
2. Toledo (22-7, 13-5 MAC) vs. 7. Central Michigan (14-16, 9-9 MAC)
Toledo wiped all CMU upset narratives by soundly beating the Chippewas 76-58. CMU was winning by five points at halftime but their lead quickly slipped through their fingers after shooting an abysmal 25.7% in the second half.
The Rockets played incredible defense against the Chippewas, holding star CMU freshman power forward Ayanna-Sarai Darrington to just nine points and three rebounds.
Overall, Toledo outrebounded the MAC’s best rebounding team 37-33, which helped them pull away with the win.
3. Buffalo (24-6, 13-5 MAC) vs. 6. Bowling Green (18-12, 11-7 MAC)
Buffalo beat Bowling Green 65-63 in the closest and arguably best game of the tournament. The nail-biter was an improbable comeback by the Bulls who were down by 12 after the 3rd quarter, before ending the game on a 28-14 run.
Buffalo senior guard Chellia Watson scored 27 points while sophomore guard Kirsten Lewis-Williams put up a massive 15-point, 11-rebound double-double.
4. Kent State (20-11, 12-6 MAC) vs. 5. Miami (OH) (19-10, 11-7 MAC)
Kent State got the better of Miami 68-61 to break the 1-1 season series tie and move onto the semifinals against Ball State.
The Golden Flashes outrebounded the Redhawks by 14. Four out of the five Kent State starters got seven rebounds or more.
Kent State sophomore guard Mya Babbitt led the team with 19 points, which was her most points scored in a game since their Jan. 5 win against Buffalo.
Semifinals
1. Ball State (24-7, 16-2 MAC) vs. 4. Kent State (20-11, 12-6 MAC)
The Cardinals once again won by a blowout, beating the Golden Flashes 70-53 on Friday morning to reach the MAC Tournament finals.
Ball State senior point guard Ally Becki nearly had a triple-double after scoring 15 points with nine rebounds and seven assists.
Lachelle Austin led the Cardinals with 21 points and four three-pointers made, both season-highs for the senior shooting guard.
2. Toledo (22-7, 13-5 MAC) vs. 3. Buffalo (24-6, 13-5 MAC)
Toledo’s defensive tenacity continued in the semifinals, giving up just 49 points in their seven-point win over Buffalo to move onto the finals against Ball State.
Graduate student guard/forward Nan Garcia led the charge for the Rockets, having one of her best games of the season with a 13-point, 15-rebound double-double performance.
Finals
1. Ball State (24-7, 16-2 MAC) vs. 2. Toledo (22-7, 13-5 MAC)
Ball State won the final game of the MAC season against Toledo 65-58 to clinch their spot in March Madness. 2025 is the first season in Ball State history to include a regular season MAC title and a MAC Tournament championship.
Ball State senior power forward Alex Richard had one of the best games of her career in the finals, scoring 28 points with nine rebounds, two blocks and a steal.
The Cardinals have a deep starting five of Becki, Austin, Bischoff, Richard and Kiefer that can score at all three levels as well as play dominant defense. Selection Sunday is tomorrow night and power-five opponents should watch out for the Cardinals as a Cinderella team in March Madness.
