Sunday, November 24
Paradise Island, Bahamas
9 pm
Ball State University
5-1,0-0MAC
75
vs
62
Texas A&M University
3-4,0-0SEC
1
2
3
4
F
Texas A&M
12
19
17
14
62
Ball St.
20
21
18
16
75
WBB Defeats SEC foe Texas A&M; Advances to Consolation Title Game of Battle 4 Atlantis
November 24, 2024 | Women's Basketball
PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas - The Ball State women's basketball team (5-1) advanced to the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament consolation title game after defeating Southeastern Conference (SEC) foe Texas A&M (3-4) by a score of 75-62 late Sunday night at Imperial Arena.
Ball State head coach Brady Sallee has now defeated a Power 5 conference team eight times during his tenure with the Cardinals — Minnesota (54-51, 2012-13), Iowa (77-72, 2015-16), Vanderbilt (88-79, 2017-18), Purdue (66-60, 2017-18), Pitt (68-66, 2022-23), Pitt (73-62, 2023-24), Georgia (52-51, 2023-24) and Texas A&M (75-62).
The game opened as an up-and-down affair between the Cardinals and the Aggies. The last tie 9-9 came at the 5:22 mark. Ball State began to pull away after putting together an 9-0 run which was capped off by a layup from current Cardinal and Texas A&M transfer, Maliyah "MJ" Johnson. The Cardinals ended up taking an eight-point edge (20-12) over the Aggies into the second quarter of play.
Ball State's defense, normally man-to-man, played zone tonight against the Aggies. That seemed to be the ticket, as Texas A&M was forced to settle on the 3-point line. Ball State concentrated on its fast-paced offense which saw the Cardinals build a 32-15 cushion with just under five minutes left in the first half. The Cardinals led by as many as 18 points (35-17) with 3:59 on the clock. After that, Texas A&M outscored Ball State 14-6 to come within 10 points (41-31) by intermission.
After the break, Ball State continued with its fast-paced style of play allowing players to score in transition while attacking the rim.
For the second-straight night, Madelyn Bischoff found her stroke from behind the arc. But Texas A&M wasn't going to go away lightly making it a six-point contest (48-42) midway through the third stanza. Elise Stuck, Bischoff, Marie Kiefer and Ally Becki, were able to stop the Aggies in their tracks as the trio scored a combined nine points to put BSU back up by 15 (57-42). The Aggies again kept chomping at the heels of BSU but found themselves down by 11 (59-48) as both squads headed into the final 10 minutes of play.
The fourth quarter wasn't a cake walk for Ball State. Becki had gotten four fouls, so naturally had to sit the bench. Lachelle Austin and Stuck took over from there for the Cardinals to put BSU back up by 16 (74-58) after Texas A&M had cut it to eight (66-58) with under five minutes to play. From that point forward, Texas A&M was unable to come within single digits the remainder of the contest.
Two nights in a row, the Cardinals were led by Bischoff who ended the night with 17 points. Austin also tallied a 17-point performance while Stuck and Becki both ended the night with 12 points apiece.
As a team, points off turnovers played a big role offensively for the Cardinals outpacing the Aggies, 29-12.
The Ball State women's basketball team will close out play at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament on Monday in the consolation championship game against Columbia University at 5 pm ET.
Ball State Marketing Note:
Ball State head coach Brady Sallee has now defeated a Power 5 conference team eight times during his tenure with the Cardinals — Minnesota (54-51, 2012-13), Iowa (77-72, 2015-16), Vanderbilt (88-79, 2017-18), Purdue (66-60, 2017-18), Pitt (68-66, 2022-23), Pitt (73-62, 2023-24), Georgia (52-51, 2023-24) and Texas A&M (75-62).
The game opened as an up-and-down affair between the Cardinals and the Aggies. The last tie 9-9 came at the 5:22 mark. Ball State began to pull away after putting together an 9-0 run which was capped off by a layup from current Cardinal and Texas A&M transfer, Maliyah "MJ" Johnson. The Cardinals ended up taking an eight-point edge (20-12) over the Aggies into the second quarter of play.
Ball State's defense, normally man-to-man, played zone tonight against the Aggies. That seemed to be the ticket, as Texas A&M was forced to settle on the 3-point line. Ball State concentrated on its fast-paced offense which saw the Cardinals build a 32-15 cushion with just under five minutes left in the first half. The Cardinals led by as many as 18 points (35-17) with 3:59 on the clock. After that, Texas A&M outscored Ball State 14-6 to come within 10 points (41-31) by intermission.
After the break, Ball State continued with its fast-paced style of play allowing players to score in transition while attacking the rim.
For the second-straight night, Madelyn Bischoff found her stroke from behind the arc. But Texas A&M wasn't going to go away lightly making it a six-point contest (48-42) midway through the third stanza. Elise Stuck, Bischoff, Marie Kiefer and Ally Becki, were able to stop the Aggies in their tracks as the trio scored a combined nine points to put BSU back up by 15 (57-42). The Aggies again kept chomping at the heels of BSU but found themselves down by 11 (59-48) as both squads headed into the final 10 minutes of play.
The fourth quarter wasn't a cake walk for Ball State. Becki had gotten four fouls, so naturally had to sit the bench. Lachelle Austin and Stuck took over from there for the Cardinals to put BSU back up by 16 (74-58) after Texas A&M had cut it to eight (66-58) with under five minutes to play. From that point forward, Texas A&M was unable to come within single digits the remainder of the contest.
Two nights in a row, the Cardinals were led by Bischoff who ended the night with 17 points. Austin also tallied a 17-point performance while Stuck and Becki both ended the night with 12 points apiece.
As a team, points off turnovers played a big role offensively for the Cardinals outpacing the Aggies, 29-12.
The Ball State women's basketball team will close out play at the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament on Monday in the consolation championship game against Columbia University at 5 pm ET.
Ball State Marketing Note:
The Cards are hot and you're not going to want to miss a chance to see them in action. The #1 Mid-Major team in the country will be back in Worthen Arena on Sunday, December 1st as they host No. 3 South Dakota State. Make sure you secure your tickets today to continue to witness history! Ticket Link
Team Stats
AM
BSU
FG%
.382
.491
3FG%
.143
.400
FT%
.850
.750
RB
40
27
TO
18
12
STL
4
11
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
17
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
4
Pts
17
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
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