Ball State University
Valparaiso
Women?s Basketball Uses Strong Finish To Topple Valparaiso
December 11, 2006 | Women's Basketball
“We showed a lot of poise in the second half as we made some big shots down the stretch,” head coach
Sophomore guard Porchia Green (
“Porchia was unbelievable this afternoon,” Roller said. “She provided the team with a spark in the second half and she hit some huge shots from the perimeter.”
The Cardinals (6-1) trailed by seven points at 55-48 with 6:19 remaining in the game before they started their game-changing run. Green was in the middle of the action as she started the run with a three-pointer gave the Cardinals the lead for good at 56-55 on another long-range shot.
After Green's third three-pointer in a four-minute stretch, freshman Audrey McDonald (
Green was pivotal in the Cardinals' 20-4 run as she scored 11 points down the stretch on the strength of her three three-pointers. McDonald added five points in the run while senior guard Kelsey Corbin (
The Cardinals finished the game shooting 22-of-52 (42.3%) from the field and just seven-of-20 (35%) from three-point land. BSU was strong from the charity stripe as it connected on 17-of-20 (85%) in the game and only missed one free throw in the second half.
Corbin, making a return to her hometown, scored 15 points for the Cardinals as she was six-of-10 from the field. She dished out four assists and picked up two steals in the victory. McDonald finished with 11 points, five assists and two steals as she scored eight of her points in the second half.
The Crusaders had four players scored in double figures in the loss with Betsy Reitema and Carrie Myers leading the way with 12 points apiece.
The Cardinals' 6-1 stretch matches the best start after seven games in program history, equaling the starts in the 2005-06 and 1975-76 seasons.
####
