Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
17-13
Eastern Michigan
22-11
WBB Suffers 75-65 Loss To EMU In MAC Tournament
March 13, 2015 | Women's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Three players scored in double figures but that wasn't enough as the second-seeded Ball State women's basketball team suffered a 75-65 loss to No. 6 seed Eastern Michigan in the Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals Friday afternoon at Quicken Loans Arena.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 17-13 on the season and await a possible bid into the Women's National Invitation Tournament, with the field being announced late Monday night.
Eastern Michigan won its eighth straight and improved to 22-11. The Eagles now advance to the tournament finals Saturday at 1 p.m. against No. 1 seed Ohio University.
Junior forward Nathalie Fontaine paced the Ball State offense with 22 points, while sophomore guard Jill Morrison had 14 points on the day. Sophomore center Renee Bennett rounded out the double figure scoring with a 10-point performance.
The Cardinals shot 42.4 percent from the field while holding the Eagles to 33.3 percent. But the deciding factor was rebounds, as Eastern Michigan pulled down 52 boards while Ball State had only 34.
Eastern Michigan opened the game strong, building a 17-7 lead with 13:13 remaining in the first half. Ball State answered back with a 16-11 run to come within five (28-23) at the 5:25 mark after baskets from Bennett, Shelby Merder, Fontaine and Morrison.
After that, the Eagles went on a 14-4 run to take the 42-27 halftime advantage over the Cardinals.
The Eagles opened the second half with a 3-point basket and remained in control the remainder of the game. Ball State was able to come within eight (69-61) late in the game with just under two minutes left after a 3-point basket from senior guard Shelbie Justice, but the Eagles went on to win by 10.
