Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Evansville
Women's Basketball Defeats Evansville
November 20, 2010 | Women's Basketball
Ball State's women's basketball team evened its record at 2-2 with a 61-58 homecourt victory over Evansville Saturday night. With the loss, the Purple Aces fall to 2-1 on the season.
The Cardinals suffered through a .339 field goal shooting percentage, but held the Purple Aces to a .400 mark and outrebounded Evansville 50-36 to claim the win.
In the second period both teams traded baskets, with Evansville's biggest lead of the second half being four before the Cardinals tied the game for the ninth time at 51-51.
A combination of scoring spurts between Ty'Ronda Benning and Amber Crago gave Ball State its biggest lead of the contest, 57-51, with 3:13 to play. The Cardinals kept control of the game and with the clock winding down, the Purple Aces were forced to foul. Benning missed the first free throw and Evansville capitalized on a three point play which made it 59-58. Benning was sent to the line again making both free throws to give the Cardinals the three point victory.
Ball State's women's basketball team was behind only one point at the half, 30-29, despite shooting a mere .321 from the field.
The Cardinals were led by Suzanne Grossnickle and Brandy Woody with seven points apiece, while Woody, Amber Crago and Emily Maggert grabbed five rebounds apiece.
After Evansville built a 12-5 lead at the 15:04 mark, the Cardinals would tie the game at 13-13 with 12:08 left in the first half on a jumper by Jazmin Hitchens. The Purple Aces would build the lead back up to eight at 21-13 with 8:46 to go, but Ball State would tie the game for the second tie in the half at 23-23 with 4:53 to play on a pair of free throws by Maggert.
A layup by Mercedes Miller with 2:30 to play would give the Cardinals their first lead of the game at 27-25. Evansville would tie the game for a fourth time at 27-27 with 1:27 to go, but a layup by Woody would give the Cardinals a 29-27 edge with just over a minute to go in the first half.
Evansville would claim the one-point halftime advantage with 35 seconds to go on a three pointer by Jordan Lewis.
The Cardinals will travel to Valparaiso for a 7 p.m. Wednesday before returning to Worthen Arena for a 7 p.m. game Dec. 1 vs. Missouri.
