Friday, March 15
Cleveland, Ohio
12:30 pm ET
Ball State University
28-5,16-2MAC
50
vs
65
Kent State University
20-10,12-5MAC
1
2
3
4
F
Kent St.
14
19
19
13
65
Ball St.
5
19
15
11
50
Women’s Basketball Loses Hard Fought Battle in MAC Tourney Semis Against Kent State
March 15, 2024 | Women's Basketball
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The second-seeded Ball State women's basketball team (28-5) fell to third-seeded Kent State (19-11) by a score of 65-50 Friday afternoon in the semifinal round of the 2024 Mid-American Conference Tournament.
It was the third straight season the Cardinals reached the semifinal round, but rebounding and points in the paint were ultimately what stopped Ball State from achieving its goal of winning the MAC Championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
It was a defensive battle to open today's semifinal contest between the two squads. The Cardinals and the Golden Flashes struggled to get things going offensively but Kent State would find a few more ways to score to end the first quarter with a 14-5 edge over Ball State.
The MAC Defensive Player of the Year Nyla Hampton opened the second stanza for the Cardinals with a three-point basket that gave Ball State some confidence. The Golden Flashes continued to control the tempo of the ball game, however, as they were hitting their shots on all areas of the floor.
Ally Becki nailed one from behind the arc off the dribble with just under five-minutes left in the half to cut Kent State's lead to six (23-17). Unfortunately, the Golden Flashes were not letting up as they took a 33-24 lead into intermission.
After the break, the Golden Flashes continued to run the show, but the Cardinals kept fighting. Rebounding continued to be BSU's biggest issue, ultimately leading to Kent State to build a 52-39 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
With a lot on the line, the Cardinals still had hope in the final period despite being down 13. Becki and Hana Mühl hit back-to-back shots, along with two free throws from Madelyn Bischoff, that brought Ball State back to within single digits (54-46).
Emotions were high and turnovers were made, along with some missed scoring opportunities, which eventually stopped the Cardinals from completing their comeback.
For the game, Becki led the team with 13 points while Bischoff had 10.
The Ball State women's basketball team will await its fate in the upcoming 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) which is hosted by the NCAA. The selection show is Sunday, March 17 at 9 pm ET on NCAA.com.
It was the third straight season the Cardinals reached the semifinal round, but rebounding and points in the paint were ultimately what stopped Ball State from achieving its goal of winning the MAC Championship at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
It was a defensive battle to open today's semifinal contest between the two squads. The Cardinals and the Golden Flashes struggled to get things going offensively but Kent State would find a few more ways to score to end the first quarter with a 14-5 edge over Ball State.
The MAC Defensive Player of the Year Nyla Hampton opened the second stanza for the Cardinals with a three-point basket that gave Ball State some confidence. The Golden Flashes continued to control the tempo of the ball game, however, as they were hitting their shots on all areas of the floor.
Ally Becki nailed one from behind the arc off the dribble with just under five-minutes left in the half to cut Kent State's lead to six (23-17). Unfortunately, the Golden Flashes were not letting up as they took a 33-24 lead into intermission.
After the break, the Golden Flashes continued to run the show, but the Cardinals kept fighting. Rebounding continued to be BSU's biggest issue, ultimately leading to Kent State to build a 52-39 cushion heading into the final 10 minutes of play.
With a lot on the line, the Cardinals still had hope in the final period despite being down 13. Becki and Hana Mühl hit back-to-back shots, along with two free throws from Madelyn Bischoff, that brought Ball State back to within single digits (54-46).
Emotions were high and turnovers were made, along with some missed scoring opportunities, which eventually stopped the Cardinals from completing their comeback.
For the game, Becki led the team with 13 points while Bischoff had 10.
The Ball State women's basketball team will await its fate in the upcoming 2024 Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT) which is hosted by the NCAA. The selection show is Sunday, March 17 at 9 pm ET on NCAA.com.
Team Stats
KentSt
BSU
FG%
.450
.321
3FG%
.500
.267
FT%
.667
.750
RB
50
23
TO
12
7
STL
6
9
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
1
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
/ Women's Basketball
Homecoming // Cardinal Sinners! Presented by Gameday Spirit
Friday, October 17
Ball State Women's Basketball // Coach Sallee: Attention Student-athletes & Season Preview
Tuesday, September 30
Women's Basketball // Season Preview with Head Coach Brady Sallee
Tuesday, September 30
This Week in Ball State Sports Podcast // Jeff Mitchell, Brady Sallee, and Michael Lewis
Thursday, September 25