MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State University women's basketball team (4-3) defeated Wright State (3-5) 65-61 Wednesday night in Worthen Arena. The Cardinals remain undefeated (4-0) at home.
“We definitely have won some tight games but I don't want to take the victory away from them,” said head coach Kelly Packard. “There were some key things that happened in the last three to four possessions. Audrey nailed a shot that we had been working on the last few days. Strategy is everything and to see them execute the plan was a good thing. Also hitting free throws down the stretch helped us as well.”
Senior guard Porchia Green (Indianapolis, Ind./Arlington) led the Cardinals in scoring with 22 points with 8-of-11 shooting from the field while teammate junior Audrey McDonald (Kokomo, Ind./Kokomo) on her 21st birthday netted 15 points making 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
Wright State went on an 8-0 run in the start of the second half to come within five points (36-31) of BSU. McDonald snapped the Raiders run at the 16:20 mark with her second trey of the game. Wright State would then score 13 straight points with 11:04 remaining to take its first lead of the game 44-41.
Freshman guard Patrice King (St. Louis, Mo./St. Joseph's Academy) hit a lay-up with 10:45 left; it was the first basket the Cardinals had made since the 15:55 mark.
Back-to-back baskets from sophomore Emily Maggert (Paris, Ill./Paris) and a three-point play from Green gave the Cardinals back their lead 56-55 with just under three minutes to play. McDonald would hit her fourth three of the game to put Ball State up 62-57 in the final seconds of the game. Free throws down the stretch from McDonald would earn the Cardinals 65-61 win over the Raiders.
The Cardinals scored back-to-back baskets in the opening minutes of the game after a jumper from Green and a three-pointer from Gratton to take an early 5-0 lead over Wright State. The closest the Raiders came to the Cardinals in the first half was 8-6 with 15:21 to play. Ball State shot 57.7 percent from the field (15-of-26) in the first half allowing the Cardinals to build a 36-23 halftime edge over the Raiders. Green was perfect from the field going 6-of-6 including two three's, she ended the half with 16 points.
The Ball State women's basketball team faces in-state rival Indiana State Saturday in Worthen Arena. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.
