Ball State women’s basketball falls to James Madison University in the second game of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) and Sun Belt (SBC) Conference Challenge 78-74.
The Cardinals had a chance to pick up a Quad1 win in the Challenge, but foul trouble prevented them from holding a lead late in the fourth quarter. Ball State is now 19-5 on the season and James Madison has improved to 21-4.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Ball State lives and dies by the 3-pointer in Q1.
The Cardinals trailed 23-14 after the first quarter, and inefficient 3-point shooting was a large reason why. Ball State struggled to get into the paint, and out of their 16 shots in the quarter, 10 were 3-point attempts.
The Cardinals went 3-for-10 out of their attempts and ended the quarter 4-for-16 (25 percent).
While Ball State struggled at the arch, the Dukes were taking advantage. James Madison shot 4-for-8 from the 3-point line to open the game and this resulted in an 11-0 run that gave the Dukes a 23-11 lead.
James Madison’s Ashanti Barnes had 11 points in the first quarter and was a perfect 3-for-3 from deep.
Even though the Cardinals struggled from the field, Ball State was still able to keep it a single-digit game after coming out slow. The Cardinals were able to penetrate the paint and get more efficient looks in the second quarter.
Alex Richard takes over.
The Cardinals were undefeated (until today) when senior Alex Richard started for Ball State, and it is easy to see why. Richard was instrumental in keeping Ball State within striking distance of the Duke’s lead.
Richard and the Cardinals made it a six-point game heading into the locker room for halftime.
Richard had 14 points in the first half and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free-throw line. She was pulling up from the free-throw line, driving into the paint and converting on buckets when Ball State needed it most. Richard also had eight of the Cardinals' 19 rebounds in the half.
Richard is an undersized post player, but she uses that to her advantage. She can shoot the ball efficiently from the mid-range, and her undersized frame often results in other centers fouling her in the paint.
Pairing her abilities with seniors Ally Becki, Marie Kiefer, Lachelle Austin and Madelyn Bischoff causes real troubles for defenders.
Richard ended with 22 points and was just one rebound shy of a double-double.
Cardinals' comeback falls short.
Ball State took the lead in the fourth quarter, but foul trouble caused the Cardinals' lead to vanish, and James Madison took control.
Kiefer and graduate student Maliyah Johnson fouled out when it was all said and done. Richard also had three fouls.
The Dukes wrapped up the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and the Cardinals were scoreless for the last 2:16 of the frame.
Even though the Cardinals dropped the chance to pick up a very important win for NCAA Tournament implications, Ball State still sits perfect in the MAC going forward.
Ball State will have the week off and will return to action against Eastern Michigan Feb. 15 with a 1 p.m. tip.
Contact Elijah Poe via email at elijah.poe@bsu.edu or on X @ElijahPoe4.
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