Ball State University
6-4
Lipscomb
2-10
Bennett Ties Career-High 28 Points In Loss To Lipscomb
December 18, 2016 | Women's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – Senior center Renee Bennett collected her third double-double of the season after tying her career high in points (28) while pulling down 11 rebounds in the Cardinals' 78-74 loss to Lipscomb Sunday afternoon in Worthen Arena.
It was an uncharacteristic day for the Ball State women's basketball team. Typically the Cardinals win the rebound battle over their opponents, especially at home, but today was a different case as Lipscomb outrebounded Ball State, 41 to 28. Both teams ended the game shooting well from the floor – Lipscomb (47.5 percent) and Ball State (46.8). The Cardinals limited their turnovers to only nine and dished out 23 assists while the Lady Bisons committed 18 miscues. Ball State won the points in the paint battle for the ninth time this season, 46 to 20.
Ball State had three players finish in double figures with Bennett leading all players with 28 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore guard Destiny Washington chipped in 13 points while sophomore point guard Carmen Grande ended the day with 10 points and 12 assists, one shy of her career high.
Both teams played uninspiring first halves due to shooting woes, but Ball State finally seemed to get its offense going in the second quarter.
At the 9:15 mark in the second period it was a four-point (20-16) ball game until Grande made a 3-point basket that eventually turned into 14-4 scoring spree to give the Cardinals a 14-point (34-20) advantage. After that, the Lady Bisons' Loren Cagle managed to knock down a 3-point basket of her own as time expired to cut the Cardinals' lead to nine (34-25) heading into intermission.
Lipscomb opened the third quarter with a quick basket to come within seven (32-27) but junior forward Moriah Monaco and senior guard Calyn Hosea converted back-to-back layups to put Ball State back up in double digits (38-27) at the 7:27 mark.
The Lady Bisons continued to slowly chip away at the Cardinals lead with the score, 46-34, at the 6:02 mark in the third quarter. After that, Lipscomb rallied off 11 straight points to come within one (46-45) in a span of four minutes. Ball State held on to a slim lead for as long as it could but the Lady Bisons finally knotted the game (53-53) for the first time since the beginning of the contest with 11 seconds remaining in the third stanza.
Lipscomb carried its third quarter momentum over to the final period, outscoring Ball State, 25-19. The game would be tied (74-74) for the eighth and final time with under a minute left in the contest but the Lady Bisons' Meredith Lovelady hit her third 3-point basket to put Lipscomb up by three with 18 seconds left.
Ball State's ensuing possession allowed the Cardinals to get the ball into senior guard Jill Morrison's hands but her 3-point shot didn't fall. Ball State was then forced to foul Lipscomb's Auriana Broughton, who went 1-for-2 from the charity stripe to put the Lady Bisons up by four (78-74) to seal the victory.
The Ball State women's basketball team continues non-conference action when it travels to Western Kentucky Wednesday for a 6:30 p.m. (EST) tipoff in E.A. Diddle Arena.
