Ball State University Athletics
Women Rally Back for First MAC Victory
January 11, 2006 | Women's Basketball
Ball State trailed by as many as 12 points with 15 minutes remaining in the contest, before turning the tables on its host for an 81-70 victory over Western Michigan Wednesday in Kalamazoo, Mich.
Western Michigan controlled the first 27 minutes of the game and went on top by its highest margin at 49-37 with 12:47 left on the clock on back-to-back-to-back 3-pointers by Amanda Parker. Ball State responded with a 12-3 run to get within three points -- 52-49 -- at the 9:42 mark. The Broncos went back up by seven, but BSU cut its deficit to one point on a jumper and two free throws by Kelsey Corbin to get within one at 56-55 at the 7:02 mark. WMU's last burst resulted in a 60-55 lead with 5:50 left, but from there it was all Cardinals.
Two straight field goals by Stephanie Douglas and another by Tina Bolte put Ball State up by one point 61-60 with under five minutes remaining. After Western Michigan went back on top after two free tosses by Casey Rost, Bolte nailed a long bomb resulting in a 64-62 lead Ball State would not surrender for the remainder of the game. The Cardinals closed out the game converting 13-of-14 free throws before finishing with Raechelle Hampton's layup with just 11 seconds left for the final margin of victory.
"I am really proud of this team," BSU head coach Tracy Roller said. "It seemed like we were down by at least 20 points, but nobody gave up. So many people hit such big shots. Stephanie Douglas played her best game at Ball State and Kelsey Corbin did such a tremendous job of distributing the ball. We executed our defensive strategy to a 't.' This was just an outstanding team effort. It feels great to get our first MAC win and even better to be returning home."
Bolte led the way with a game-high 22 points, marking her third 20-plus point effort of the season. Corbin notched the second double-double of her career with 14 points and 11 assists. The 11 assists ties her career high. Douglas had a career-high 12 points, while Krista Stewart chipped in with 11. BSU shot 49.2 percent from the field for the game, including a hot 64.3 (18-of-28) in the second half. The Cardinals also posted a 38-35 advantage on the boards.
BSU, 8-5 overall and 1-1 in league play, returns home to Muncie for its first home game since Dec. 4 Saturday when it entertains Central Michigan. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday's game marks BSU's first at home since Dec. 4.
