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WBB Pulls Out Victory Over In-state rival IUPUI; Extends Win Streak to Five
November 22, 2023 | Women's Basketball
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - It wasn't the prettiest of games, but the Cardinals pulled out the 67-63 victory over in-state rival IUPUI Wednesday afternoon at the Jungle. With the win, Ball State improves to 5-0 on the season for the first time since 2017, while IUPUI falls to 1-4.
Ally Becki led all players with 19 points, while Marie Kiefer ended the day with 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Kiefer recorded her first double-double of the season after pulling down 10 rebounds.
It was a back-and-forth affair to start the contest as both teams struggled to find their offensive rhythm. Finally, Madelyn Bischoff was able to do what she does best and drain a 3-pointer at the 4:15 mark to give the Cardinals a bit of a boost. After that, despite how hard the Cardinals were playing defensively, the offense just wasn't there, allowing the Jaguars to take a slim 15-13 edge at the end of the first stanza.
The Jaguars remained in control in the second quarter, leading by as many as five (27-22) with five left on the clock. The Cardinals continued to struggle offensively, but a late scoring spree helped Ball State end the half on a high note. With back-to-back layups from Ally Becky and Annie Rauch, the Cardinals cut the deficit to 31-30 at intermission.
After the break, it remained a close game. But as the Cardinals continued to have their worst shooting performance of the season, they were looking for something to revive them in the third frame. Estel Puiggros came off the bench and knocked down a 3-pointer with just over three minutes on the clock. Her three was followed by a quick layup from Becki to give BSU a 43-42 lead. But IUPUI would close out the quarter with a 5-4 run to have the upper hand once again (48-47) as both teams headed into the final 10 minutes of action.
The final quarter was just as close as the previous three frames. The tables began to turn for the Cardinals with a layup from Kiefer along with a few key rebounds and some offensive fouls committed by IUPUI. Those plays gave Ball State the opportunity to jump ahead 63-60 at the 2:42 mark. The Cardinals' defense held the Jaguars without a field goal for over two minutes. A huge 3-pointer from Bischoff with 20 seconds remaining sealed the victory for Ball State.
The Ball State women's basketball team will be back in action Friday when the Cardinals host No. 14 Notre Dame in Worthen Arena at 5 pm ET. Fans are encouraged to were black for our "Blackout" event over the Irish.
