Ball State University
7-21 (2-14MAC)
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Western Michigan University
10-17 (4-12MAC)
Offensive Struggles Too Much For WBB To Overcome In Loss At WMU
March 02, 2019 | Women's Basketball
KALAMAZOO, Mich. - Western Michigan's offensive groove at the start of the contest was too much for the Cardinals to handle Saturday afternoon at University Arena, losing the ball game, 72-54.
Western Michigan (10-17, 4-12 MAC) set the tone early, opening the game with a 10-0 run. The Broncos went on to end the first quarter up, 22-13. BSU (7-21, 2-14 MAC) had some help off the bench, as Katie Helgason and Gabby Smith combined for seven of the Cardinals' first-quarter points.
Ball State turned up its defense at the start of the second period, holding Western Michigan scoreless for two minutes. Jasmin Samz brought Ball State to within seven (22-15) at the 8:07 mark, but WMU closed the first half with a 20-12 scoring spree, resulting in the Broncos' 42-27 lead at the intermission.
The Cardinals started the second half with an early rally. A block from Oshlynn Brown and some key baskets from Ball State cut WMU's lead to eight, 42-34, with 6:01 remaining in the third.
After that, Western Michigan went on a 12-4 run that put the Broncos back up by 16. The Cardinals continued to struggle offensively the remainder of the contest.
For the game, WMU took advantage of the Cardinals' miscues, scoring 19 points off of BSU's 15 turnovers. Second-chance points also played a big role in the contest, with the Broncos leading that category, 11-6.
For the second straight game, Samz led the Cardinals in scoring with 13 points while Gabby Smith finished with 10.
The Ball State women's basketball team continues its Mid-American Conference regular season action on the road Wednesday when the Cardinals take on Northern Illinois for an 8 p.m. ET tipoff at the Convocation Center.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State women's basketball team, please follow @BallStateSports and @BallStateWBB.
