Ball State University
North Dakota
Women's Basketball Wins 88-80 over North Dakota
January 28, 2009 | Women's Basketball
Ball State's women's basketball team took a break from Mid-American Conference action and posted an 88-80 victory over the Fighting Sioux of North Dakota.
With the win, the Cardinals improved to 13-7 overall, while UND evened its record at 10-10.
Junior forward Danielle Gratton took charge early and scored 11 of Ball State's first 17 points of the game and 17 in the first half, but the Fighting Sioux maintained a 39-36 lead at the break.
Gratton opened the second half just as she ended the first and tallied her 18th and 19th point just a minute into the second stanza on a breakaway fast break layup. The basket set a new career high for Gratton, breaking her previous mark of 18 vs. Robert Morris earlier this season.
With just over 16 minutes to play in the game, Audrey McDonald hit back to back three pointers and the Cardinals tied the game for the seventh time. The three pointers by McDonald ended a streak of six straight misses for her, including five from three point range.
At the 7:46 mark of the second half, Porchia Green hit a three pointer to give the Cardinals a 59-58 lead, their first lead of the second half and their first lead since midway through the first half. Amber Clark hit a layup off a Green assist with 6:39 to play and the game was tied for the eighth time at 61-61.
An Emily Maggert layup off an assist from Kiley Jarrett with 5:58 to play gave Ball State a 63-61 edge, and then McDonald brought the nearly 1,200 fans in Worthen Arena to their feet with a three pointer right in front of the Cardinals bench, and Ball State took its largest lead of the contest, 66-61 with 5:40 to play.
Maggert scored on the inside with an assist from Green with 2:35 to play and the Cardinals led 70-65. A basket from UND closed the gap to 70-67 with 1:28 to play, and a defensive stop by the Fighting Sioux with 1:02 to go forced Ball State to take a timeout. North Dakota hit a three pointer with 48 seconds to play to tie the contest at 70-70.
Ball State failed to convert with 17.4 to play, and UND's final shot of regulation fell short and sent the game into overtime. It marked Ball State's third overtime contest of the year.
Both teams exchanged baskets in the first 1:45 of the extra period until Maggert hit a layup on an assist from Jarrett to give the Cardinals a 74-72 lead. A North Dakota bucket tied the game at 2:45. On Ball State's next possession Maggert was fouled and connected on a pair of free throws to give the Cardinals a 76-74 edge. UND's three missed, and Ball State's Clark hit a three footer to increase the Cardinals lead to 78-74 with 1:48 to play.
As the Fighting Sioux went to the offensive end of the floor, a personal foul and technical foul was called on UND's Whitney Ledger. McDonald hit the foul shots and Ball State increased its advantage to 80-74 at the 1:36 mark. After a North Dakota timeout, the Fighting Sioux missed a jump shot and committed a foul on the other end. Jarrett connected on the two free ones and Ball State led 82-74 with 1:13 to play.
Ball State's defense stole the ball on UND's next possession and forced the Fighting Sioux to foul again. Jarrett returned to the free throw line and made two more as the Cardinals took an 84-74 lead. The Cardinals continued its parade to the charity stripe and ended the game with an 88-80 victory.
Gratton ended the game with a career high 21 points, while Maggert managed 23 points, one shy of her career high.
Ball State will return to MAC action Saturday with a 7 p.m. contest vs. Miami University. The Cardinals are in first place in the MAC West Division and will be trying to PACK THE HOUSE at Saturday's game.
