Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
6-3,0-0MAC
Utah State University
5-4,0-0Mountain West
WBB Breaks Worthen Arena 3-point Record in 81-55 Win Over Utah State
December 11, 2021 | Women's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ball State women's basketball team (6-3) used a balanced offense and a stifling defense to give the Cardinals an 81-55 victory over Utah State (5-4) Saturday afternoon in Worthen Arena.
The Cardinals also broke the program's 3-point record in Worthen Arena with 16 led by both junior Sydney Freeman and senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, who each had four from behind the arc.
It was true freshman Maddie Bischoff who hit the record breaking 3-pointer with 1:25 left in the game.
Ball State saw seven different players knock down one or more 3-pointers against the Aggies. The old 3-point record was 15 against Central Michigan in 2000.
"It was a heck of win," Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said. Sallee was very impressed with how the Cardinals shot the ball but also with how well the Cardinals played defensively."
How could Sallee not be happy with Ball State's defense, as the Cardinals were able to score 27 points off Utah State's 24 turnovers.
It was Utah State that scored the first basket of the contest but that 2-0 lead certainly did not last long.
Freshman Ally Becki quickly answered back by knocking down a 3-pointer to give Ball State the lead. After that, the Cardinals never trailed again outscoring the Aggies 23-11 in the first quarter of action with some key baskets from Freeman and few 3-pointers Agustsdottir.
Ball State continued its dominating performance in the second frame as the Cardinals were consistent with their shot selection behind the arc shooting 50 percent (10-of-20) and in the paint, eventually building a 16-point (45-29) cushion over the Aggies at intermission.
The Cardinals never let up in the second 40 minutes of play, as they outscored the Aggies 36-26 in the second half. Ball State's bench got some action as well with 12 different Cardinals seeing playing time for Ball State. The Cardinals bench chipped in 18 points in today's win over Utah State.
Redshirt junior Anna Clephane and Freeman led the Cardinals in scoring with 16 points apiece. Agustsdottir finished the day with 12, while her teammates freshmen Marie Kiefer and Bischoff scored 11 points each. Defensively, Becki led with seven rebounds.
After today's contest, the Cardinals will enjoy a little time off from competition for finals week as Ball State's 2021 fall semester comes to an end. Ball State returns to the court for its final non-conference game on Dec. 20 versus Bellarmine in Worthen Arena at 6:30 p.m. ET. The game against the Knights will be the second-ever meeting between the two schools. Ball State and Bellarmine first faced off last year in Louisville, Ky. on Dec. 14, 2020, resulting in a 98-42 victory for the Cardinals.
To get tickets to the game you can call 888.BSU.TICKET or 765.285.1474 to join the Cardinal Family inside Worthen Arena! Season and group tickets are on sale now. Single game tickets are also available at the numbers listed above and online at Ticketmaster.com.
