Ball State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Suffers One Point Defeat at Central Michigan
February 22, 2006 | Women's Basketball
It took three trips down the court, but Ball State's Porchia Green found Becca Bajorek underneath the basket for the game's first bucket. The lead, however, was short-lived as Erin Kuhl hit a long 3-pointer to give Central Michigan the advantage and put into motion a 10-1 run for her team culminating with a 10-3 advantage 4:15 into the contest.
With the Chippewas on top 12-7, Julie DeMuth and Lisa Rusche came off the bench to combine for eight of the next 10 points as BSU cut its deficit to 14-13 at the 10:56 media timeout. Bajorek's put-back 90 seconds later gave the Cardinals back the lead, but CMU's Sharonda Hurd responded with back-to-back jumpers to give the Chippewas `543rean 18-15 advantage. The teams traded shots and leads for the next several minutes until Rusche converted back-to-back buckets to put Ball State up 26- 22. Central Michigan ended a nearly three minute scoring drought on a Chasidy Myers' lay up with just under one minute on the clock to put her team within two points at 26-24 at the conclusion of the first period.
Rusche had a career-high eight points on a 4-of-4 showing from the floor to lead Ball State over the first 20 minutes. Hurd had seven points to top Central Michigan. BSU shot 45.8 (11-of-24) percent from the floor, while CMU converted 40.9 (9-of-22) percent of its shots. Over the first 20 minutes, there were six lead changes and two ties.
Erica Cotton opened the second half by draining a long three from the right base line, giving Ball State a five-point edge. The Cardinals went up by seven points after two-straight layups by Kelsey Corbin. Erin Kuhl ended a two-minute dry spell for her team with her long bomb to get the Chips within four points at 33-29 with 16:05 left in the game.
The Cardinals augmented their advantage to double digits -- 39-29 -- with six unanswered points, including four free throw makes by DeMuth. Myers kept Ball State from blowing the game wide open with back-to-back-to-back jumpers to hold Central Michigan's deficit at single digits. The Chippewas got within five points on an old-fashioned 3-point play by Candace Wilson and then a bucket by Casey Manning. After trading baskets, Manning's layup put her team within three points -- 53-50 -- setting up the final four-minute all-out battle.
After Hurd trimmed down Ball State's lead to one point at 53-52 with just over three minutes remaining, Raechelle Hampton took a pass from DeMuth and made the shot, but more importantly drew a foul to send CMU's Skufca to the bench with her fifth foul. Hampton converted the free throw to give BSU a seemingly comfortable 56-52 lead at the three minute mark.
Central Michigan took advantage of a shooting foul and a technical foul on Ball State's bench as Myers converted 3-of-4 of the free tries to get her team within one point at 56-55 with just over two minutes left. Hurd followed with a jumper to give the Chippewas a 57-56 lead, but Hampton answered with a layup to put the Cardinals back on top with 44 seconds remaining. Hurd converted two free tosses at the 18-second mark, giving the ball back to the Cardinals. Manning blocked an attempt by BSU and then Bolte missed the final shot of the game.
"We knew this was going to be a tough stretch for us having to come up here to Central Michigan and then go to Eastern Michigan Saturday," BSU head coach Tracy Roller said. "I was happy with the way we started, but disappointed with the way we ended. We just weren't aggressive enough in the second half and we didn't match their intensity."
DeMuth registered her 10th double-double of the campaign with 12 points and 16 rebounds. Rusche added a career-high 11 points and Corbin chipped in with 10. Myers and Hurd led all scorers with 15 points each for Central Michigan.
BSU continues a two-game Michigan trek Saturday when it travels to West Division leader Eastern Michigan.
