If last season was a dream season for Ball State University, this one is a nightmare.
The nightmare continued for Ball State (9-13, 3-6) as it lost 69-54 Wednesday night at Mid-American Conference-rival Miami University.
The five-game losing streak is the Cardinals' longest since the 2007-08 season when they lost six straight.
After their fourth loss in a row over the weekend, coach Kelly Packard promised changes. Some changes were evident, but the result was not different.
"Our confidence has been shaken," Packard said. "Our biggest challenge is going to be how we invest in our players and increase confidence in the next couple days."
The defense picked up its intensity for a large portion of the first half, putting Ball State in front for most of the first half as Miami (6-16, 4-5) went 3-for-19 from the floor in the first 13 minutes. The only thing that kept the RedHawks close was a 10-for-10 performance from the free throw line.
Then everything fell apart for the Cardinals, again.
Ball State struggled with turnovers and poor positioning for rebounds. Miami got rolling and put the game away.
The Cardinals shot 28.6 percent from the floor in the second half and only shot 54.5 percent from the free throw line for the game.
"Technical things on the court like demeanor will have to be addressed," Packard said. "Addressing the confidence issue will be key to turning the corner. We're talking about where we go from here."
Junior forward Emily Maggert recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 18 points and 13 rebounds. She moved into 12th place in the Ball State rebounding list with 599 career boards, passing Alana Hancock.
Seniors Danielle Gratton and Audrey McDonald chipped in 12 and six points, respectively. It was a rough night for McDonald who went a staggering 1-for-12 from beyond the arc.
"You don't see Audrey go 1-for-12 very often," Packard said. "It's a team thing. I'm not calling Audrey out, it's just rare for her to have a night like tonight."
Miami guard Maggie Boyer notched 23 points to lead all scorers.
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