Ball State University
4-5,2-3MAC
Kent State University
5-2,4-0MAC
WBB Loses On the Road To Kent State In MAC Action Saturday
January 09, 2021 | Women's Basketball
KENT, Ohio - - Despite a strong start and late run, the Ball State women's basketball team could not overcome a hot Kent State squad, suffering a 70-61 loss Saturday afternoon at the M.A.C. Center.
"It's never easy playing on the road in Mid-American Conference action," ninth-year head coach Brady Sallee said. "However, I am proud of the way we fought today, especially in some adverse situations."
While the Cardinals (4-5, 2-3 MAC) held a 21-17 lead after the first 10 minutes, the league-leading Golden Flashes (5-2, 4-0 MAC) battled back and used a 43-33 edge in total rebounds and a 17-2 advantage in second chance points to pull out the victory.
Preseason All-MAC selection senior Oshlynn Brown led the Cardinals in both scoring and rebounding for the third consecutive game, collecting 16-points and grabbing 13 rebound. It was the 37th double-double of her career for the Chillicothe, Ohio, native who helped pave the way early for Ball State with eight first-quarter points before running into some foul trouble.
Unfortunately, after a strong opening period for the Cardinals, Kent State opened the second quarter with a 6-1 run to take the lead at 23-22. Ball State countered with a basket, but KSU followed with the next seven points and never trailed again.
Ball State did manage to minimize its turnovers in the first half (4) and throughout the contest (8), allowing the Cardinals to put themselves in position for a second-half comeback.
Sophomore guard Sydney Freeman, who finished the game with 11 points, found Brown underneath the basket to open the third frame to give the Cardinals an early spark. Redshirt sophomore Anna Clephane also hit a few shots to try to keep the momentum going, and she ended the day with 14 points.
Kent State quickly put out Ball State's flame, however, and took an 11 point (53-42) lead into the final stanza.
With Kent State leading by 17 halfway through the final quarter, the Cardinals made one more run and eventually cut the lead to 10 on a Freeman trifecta with 1:22 remaining.
While the defense was able to hold, the Cardinals were only able to score one point the rest of the way, as a Clephane free throw gave the game its finals score of 70-61.
The Ball State women's basketball team continues its two-game road swing Wednesday, when it travels to Ohio University for a 6 p.m. ET tip-off at the Convocation Center.
For the most up-to-date news on the Ball State women's basketball team, please follow @BallState Sports, @BSUCoachBrady and @BallStateWBB on twitter and instagram.
