Ball State University
15-5, 7-2MAC
Akron
11-10,5-5MAC
WBB Defeats Akron 78-71 In MAC Action Wednesday
February 04, 2016 | Women's Basketball
By Doug Zaleski
Ballstatesports.com
The stat line Akron guard Anita Brown put up Wednesday didn't necessarily indicate she was controlled by Ball State's defense. But considering the heater Brown has been on, the Cardinals can pat themselves on the back for a job well done.
Brown, the leading scorer among women's basketball players in the Mid-American Conference, tallied 19 points. But she wasn't as effective as she had been in several recent games, and the pressure put on her by Ball State helped lead the Cardinals to a 78-71 victory in Worthen Arena.
Brown averaged 24 points in her previous six games, erupting for 23 or more in five of them.
But Frannie Frazier off the bench and starting forward Moriah Monaco combined to hold Brown in check. Brown, who averages 21.9 points a game, needed 18 field-goal attempts to score her 19 points.
“It's huge for (Frazier) to take the step to be a reliable defender,” Cardinals coach Brady Sallee said. “She'll be the first to tell you at times last year it was hard to have her in the game because she wasn't reliable. … Now she's a really good player, and she can give them fits because she's stronger than most (opposing guards).”
Brown made only 3-of-11 field-goal attempts in the second half as Ball State rallied from a 40-34 halftime deficit.
Frazier and Monaco each had off-the-ball help from teammates in defending Brown. But Frazier's strength and the 6-foot-1 Monaco's length provided an effective 1-2 defensive punch against Brown.
“We just kept coming at her with some size and length and strength,” Sallee said. “She's an all-conference kid … and our kids were tough when they had to be.”
Frazier, a sophomore, had a positive effect on the game with her offense, too. She tied her career high with 10 points (5-for-9 shooting), tied a career best with six rebounds (four on offense) while tying her career high with 20 minutes played.
She gave the Cardinals (15-5, 7-2 MAC West) another offensive possession with 3:09 to play by grabbing an offensive board on a missed free throw with Ball State ahead just 69-67.
“The difference in the game was Frannie with the rebounds and hustle plays and toughness plays,” Sallee said. “Basically you have six starters when you have a kid come off the bench and accept that role and relish it. She has a good look to her right now, in practice and clearly in games.”
Nathalie Fontaine had a similar effect with her play, getting game highs of 22 points and 14 rebounds for her 29th career double-double.
The senior forward was 8-for-10 from the free throw line in the second half. She had 12 points and nine rebounds after halftime while increasing her career point total to 1,925 (second best in school history).
“You get yelled at in the locker room a little bit and come back in the second half and make better decisions,” Fontaine said, only half-jokingly, about her penchant for playing better in the second half in many recent games. “You have to be stronger with the ball, see double teams coming, pass it out, play from the inside out.
“If you move in our offense, it will get easier.”
Fontaine also rejected a shot near the basket as Brown drove to the post with the Cardinals protecting a 69-67 lead against the Zips (11-10, 5-5 MAC East).
“Obviously, I had a mismatch on her in the paint,” Fontaine said. “She takes a lot of shots in the paint, and I knew she was going to come and lay it up. I just had to time it up.”
Center Renee Bennett also had a block with 18 seconds to go as Brown drove to the basket with the Cardinals ahead 72-70.
Ball State then scored six straight points at the free-throw line in the final 15 seconds as Carmen Grande, Fontaine and Monaco each made two.
Ball State had five players score in double figures, including Monaco with 17, and Bennett and Jill Morrison with 11 each.
Grande delivered 10 assists (one off her career high) and tied her career best with four steals to offset 1-for-7 shooting.
“But she affects the game in so many ways,” Sallee said. “To see her distribute the ball that well … and again, when (the opponent doesn't) guard somebody that's the chance you take.
“Now (she) can play quarterback and just sit out there, get the ball where it needs to go. She did a great job with that part of it tonight. And she hit big free throws when we needed them down the stretch in the second half.”
Akron ran out to its six-point halftime lead by shooting 53.3 percent from the field. The Zips had 8-of-16 shots from the 3-point line.
The Cardinals tightened up in the second half. Akron shot only 35.5 percent and made just 2-of-11 shots from the arc.
Ball State will play at Buffalo at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Bulls (10-10, 3-6 MAC East) handed Ohio its first MAC loss in 10 games on Wednesday with a 51-43 victory.
