WBB Suffers 87-66 Setback to Stephen F. Austin

Saturday, November 27

Katy, Texas

5 pm ET | 4 pm CT

Ball State University

2-2,0-0MAC

Stephen F. Austin

6-1,0-0WAC

Team	1	2	3	4	F
SFA	17	23	24	23	87
Ball St.	14	17	24	11	66

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

November 27, 2021 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

KATY, Texas - The Ball State women's basketball team (2-1) trailed early to Stephen F. Austin (6-1) and could not recover losing the game, 87-66, Saturday night in its second game of the Van Chancellor Classic at the Merrell Center.

"The loss didn't come from a lack of effort," Ball State 10th-year head women's basketball coach Brady Sallee said after the contest. "The Cardinals played hard but turned the ball over too much tonight."

In fact, Ball State committed 22 miscues and Stephen F. Austin capitalized on those opportunities with 28 points. That statistic may sound negative but on average, the Ladyjacks, who were a 2021 NCAA Tournament participant, typically forces its opponents to have 29 turnovers per game, which is seven less than the Cardinals had tonight.

Another factor in tonight's loss for Ball State was foul trouble. Stephen F. Austin was sent to the line 28 times while the Cardinals made only 11 trips to the charity stripe.

For the third-straight contest redshirt junior Anna Clephane led the Cardinals in scoring with 15 points. Junior Sydney Freeman and true freshman Marie Kiefer both had 10 points apiece. Sophomore Ivet Subirats led Ball State on the boards with six rebounds. As a team, the Cardinals won that statistical battle on the glass over the Ladyjacks, 35-31.

Unfortunately, Ball State could not find its offensive groove against the Ladyjacks' press defense. Sallee said, "the Cardinals did handle the front end of Stephen F. Austin's press tonight, but that the Ladyjacks make you play hectic which didn't give BSU a lot of time to set up its offense."

It was not a total wash though, as the Cardinals managed to have a lead over SFA four times with one tie, but the Ladyjacks outscored Ball State 23-11 in the final stanza to run away with the victory.

The Ball State women's basketball team will wrap up play at the Van Chancellor Classic at the Merrell Center on Sunday when it faces Saint Joseph's at 2:30 p.m. ET in Katy, Texas.