Wednesday, January 15
Mount Pleasant, MI
7:00 PM
Ball State University
39
at
66
Central Michigan
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Chippewas Hand Cardinals First MAC Loss Of The Season
January 15, 2020 | Women's Basketball
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - A lot was on the line tonight, as both teams were fighting to remain undefeated in Mid-American Conference action. Unfortunately, despite the Cardinals efforts, Ball State (11-5, 3-1 MAC) would suffer its first league loss of the season. BSU fell to three-time MAC regular season champion Central Michigan (11-4, 4-0 MAC) Wednesday night in McGuirk Arena by a score of 66-39.
The Cardinals were led in scoring by this week's MAC West Division Player of the Week honoree, junior Oshlynn Brown, who scored 10 points and pulled down six rebounds.
The first quarter resulted in a back-and-forth affair, with each team trying to gain its footing in the opening minutes of action. The game was knotted at eight at the first media timeout. After that, CMU closed out the first frame with an 8-2 run to take a 16-10 lead over the Cardinals heading into the second 10 minutes of play.
Brown opened the second quarter for the Cardinals with a jumper right out of gates but the Chippewas quickly answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to take a 22-14 advantage over BSU with just a minute shaved off the clock. The Cardinals then put together an 11-5 scoring spree making it a two-point (27-25) ball game with 3:46 remaining before the half. Freshman Sydney Freeman, freshman Annie Rauch along with their teammate sophomore Thelma Dis Agustsdottir hit some crucial baskets to keep up the fight for BSU. CMU turned up their defense and held the Cardinals scoreless for over three minutes, to take a 32-25 edge over Ball State at intermission.
The Chippewas came out firing in the third quarter scoring eight unanswered points two make it a 15-point ball game (40-25). Senior guard Jasmin Samz finally broke the Cardinals shooting woes with a 3-point basket at the 4:45 mark. Central Michigan went on to outscore Ball State 20-5 in the third frame, to take a commanding 52-30 lead into the final 10 minutes of action.
Central Michigan's 18-point advantage was too much for Ball State to overcome in the final stanza resulting in the Cardinals first loss in seven games. Ball State had not lost a game since Dec. 7 prior to tonight's contest.
The Ball State women's basketball team remains on the road in Mid-American Conference action when it plays at Ohio University Saturday at 1 p.m. in the Convocation Center.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State women's basketball team, please follow @BallStateSports, @BSUCoachBrady and @BallStateWBB.
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