Cardinals Fall in MAC Championship to Buffalo

Saturday, March 12

Cleveland, Ohio

11 a.m.

Ball State University

20-12,11-8MAC

University at Buffalo

25-8,16-4MAC

Ball St.

Buffalo

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

March 12, 2022 | Women's Basketball

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Becki and Agustsdottir score 20 points in title game

CLEVELAND, Ohio - Despite 20-point efforts from freshman Ally Becki and senior Thelma Dis Agustsdottir, the fifth-seeded Ball State women's basketball team dropped a 79-75 decision to No. 2 seed Buffalo in the Mid-American Conference Tournament Championship Saturday.

Becki nearly registered a triple-double after adding nine rebounds and seven assists to her 20 points on the day. Agustsdottir played all 40 minutes and had 20 points, including six made 3-pointers.

Junior Annie Rauch added 12 points and six rebounds, while fellow junior Sydney Freeman had 11 points, four assists and three rebounds.

The Cardinals (20-12) racked up 18 assists on 27 made shots, while the Bulls (25-8) controlled the glass, winning the rebounding battle, 42-34.

Ball State jumped out to an early 8-4 lead to start the game, highlighted by 3-pointers from Agustsdottir and Freeman. However, Buffalo would take 14 of the next 16 points and hold a 20-15 advantage at the end of the first quarter.

The Bulls' lead would grow to as much as eight early in the second at 23-15, but the Cardinals used a 13-2 run on the backs of a pair of 3s from Becki and a couple of jumpers from graduate student Chyna Latimer to take a 28-25 lead. The two teams would go on to trade baskets, and Buffalo would take a 1-point lead into the locker room, 38-37.

After a layup from freshman Marie Kiefer to give Ball State the lead to begin the second half, the Bulls came right back down the court and made a 3-pointer. Buffalo would not relinquish the lead for the remainder of the quarter. The Bulls extended their lead by as much as six twice, but the Cardinals remained within reach at 53-50 following a Rauch bucket to end the third quarter.

The fourth quarter was an offensive clinic as both teams scored 25-plus points and shot at least 44 percent from the floor, in addition to combining for 15-of-15 from the free throw line.

Agustsdottir had a team-best nine points in the final stanza on three makes from downtown, while Becki had eight points, including 6-of-6 from the charity stripe, to close out the contest.

A 3-pointer from freshman Madelyn Bischoff knotted the game back up at 53-apiece to open the fourth. However, Buffalo regained the lead 28 seconds later and held on down the stretch despite a flurry of makes from Ball State to win, 79-75.

With the Cardinals advancing to the title game for the fifth time, they secured a 20-win season for the fifth time under head coach Brady Sallee, all coming within the last seven campaigns.