A slow start for Ball State (7-21, 2-14 MAC) damaged its hopes of getting back in the win column as the Cardinals fell to Western Michigan (10-17, 4-12 MAC), 72-54.
The Broncos made a statement in the first few minutes, starting the game on a 10-0 run and holding the Cardinals scoreless until the 6:18 mark when Ball State finally made a free throw to end the drought. Western Michigan finished the first quarter with a 22-13 lead.
Senior forward Jasmyn Walker got things going for Western Michigan, scoring seven points in the first frame and making things hard on Ball State in the paint.
The Cardinals’ effort on the offensive end was not up to par, and the Broncos took advantage. They were able to collapse inside and make it difficult to get comfortable down low. It affected the Cardinals’ play in the post as freshman Thelma Dis Agustdóttir and sophomore Oshlynn Brown combined for seven points on 3 of 13 shooting from the field.
Senior guard Jasmin Samz led the Cardinals in scoring with a 13-point outing. Ball State as a team finished the contest shooting an even 40 percent, but it struggled from deep, making 3 of 16 attempts from downtown.
The Cardinals went into halftime down 42-27 and came out of the break with a promising 7-0 run to cut into the deficit. The Broncos responded with their own 6-0 run and kept a comfortable lead from there on out.
“Their ability to hit outside shots and contested outside shots was the story of the game,” head coach Brady Sallee said. “They beat us in every category. This is what it looks like on the road when they play as well as they did, and we didn’t match it.”
The 3-point shot was what propelled Western Michigan to dominate throughout. The team was able to make 12 out of 28 from behind the arc.
The Broncos received a solid production from different positions as four scorers put up double-digit points. Forward Leighah-Amori Wool lead the group with 19 points. Guard Deja Wimby had 14, forward Jasmyn Walker had 13 and guard Karmin Reed finished with 12. Western Michigan ended the game shooting 47 percent from the field.
Ball State will be back in action Wednesday on the road against Northern Illinois at 7 p.m.
Contact Daric Clemens with any comments at diclemens@bsu.edu or on Twitter @DaricClemens.
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