Ball State University
10-4,2-1MAC
Miami (OH)
7-7, 1-2MAC
WBB Remains Undefeated At Home; Defeats Miami 66-41
January 09, 2016 | Women's Basketball
By Doug Zaleski
Ballstatesports.com
Renee Bennett seems to be rounding back into form, and that's adding another dimension to the Ball State women's basketball team that opponents have to take into consideration.
Bennett missed two games during the recent holiday season with an ankle injury that required her to wear a walking boot. The 6-foot-5 junior center is showing signs that the injury isn't going to hold her back during the Mid-American Conference season.
She scored 16 points on perfect shooting Saturday to lead the Cardinals to a 66-41 victory against Miami in Worthen Arena.
“Coming out today and getting those easy buckets around the rim gave me confidence,” Bennett said. “My teammates were excited for me, the coaches were getting excited, and then you go out there and feel invincible.
“I know I'm not, but you get more into it, and that is definitely what I needed. It was definitely a fun game.”
Bennett made all eight of her field-goal attempts and her 16 points were just two shy of her career best.
Cardinals coach Brady Sallee noted a week earlier that Bennett's teammates had to get re-adjusted to playing with her again and look to get the ball inside.
“She went and got the game a little bit with the way she rebounded on the back side in the first half,” Sallee said. “Then everybody went, 'Oh, let's just throw it to her,' and I think that's a great plan anyway.
“You're starting to see her get going, and I called her number on a couple of jump shots. She shot them without thinking twice.”
One such play was when Ball State (10-4, 2-1 MAC West) ran an out of bounds play under its basket. Miami (7-7, 1-2 MAC East) crowded its defense down low to keep Bennett from getting deep position.
Bennett adjusted and went to the elbow, where she made a jumper.
“That's when you know she's got it going,” Sallee said. “Now we have to keep it going.”
At 6-5, Bennett provides a matchup advantage against a lot of teams Ball State will play.
Miami, one of the bigger teams in the MAC with four players at 6-1 or taller, couldn't prevent Bennett – and later in the game Cardinals forward Nathalie Fontaine – from getting good position inside.
“It's the way I built the team, to be bigger and … stronger,” Sallee said. “For (us) to have that kind of advantage over one of the bigger teams in the league is what I want us to look like.
“I want us to be 'that' team. I want to make teams worry so much about what they have to do in the paint to keep us from dominating that now all of a sudden my shooters are out there (on the perimeter) playing playing H-O-R-S-E.”
Miami was effective at keeping Fontaine, the MAC's leading scorer with a 22.8 average, bottled up in the first half. She made just 1-of-6 field goals and scored three points.
Sallee used a football metaphor to describe Fontaine's difficult half, saying the Cardinals had to block Miami's defensive end better so Fontaine could run off tackle. And she had to be OK with gaining 4 yards on first down instead of hitting a big play.
“That's the game (Miami) wanted, and we're OK with that,” Sallee said. “We're tough enough to play that game. They came in and said, 'We're going to see if they're tough enough.' I guess we were today.”
Fontaine adjusted by getting inside frequently in the second half to make 5-of-8 field goals for 13 points to finish the game with 16.
“I just had to attack more,” she said. “I was a little off in the first half. I just tried to start playing on defense and see what happened on offense after that.”
Ball State took advantage of poor play by Miami in the first half (23 percent shooting, 14 turnovers) to lead 10-2 after one quarter and 23-10 at halftime.
The Cardinals' 2-2-1 full-court press was effective as they pestered Miami with it most of the game. The RedHawks committed 22 turnovers, the most by a Division I team against Ball State this year.
Carmen Grande, who provides pressure on the front end of the press, tied her season high with four steals. She also added nine assists, seven points and six rebounds.
Frannie Frazier came off the bench to give another spark with an array of intangibles. She delivered seven points and six rebounds in 19 minutes, and her hustle plays led to numerous opportunities for the Cardinals.
“I love playing with Frannie because you never know what you're going to get from her,” Bennett said. “Even in practice she does some crazy things, and it just turns out to work. It's inexplainable. She has really good energy, and is a really good player.”
Frazier, who started the second half, grabbed two offensive rebounds on one Ball State possession with about two minutes left in the game and the Cardinals on top by 24 points. She chased down another offensive board on the Cardinals' next possession.
Frazier took a charge against Miami's Kayla Brown on the front end of the press with 6:15 left in the game.
“That's a kid who isn't worried about the scoreboard,” Sallee said. “She's just worried about doing her job.”
Jill Morrison, the Cardinals' No. 2 scorer on the year, weathered a difficult shooting day by grabbing a game-high nine rebounds and adding four assists.
Ball State will play at home again at 7 p.m. Wednesday against Buffalo (10-4, 2-1 MAC East).
