This Wednesday, the women’s basketball team (2-22, 0-12 MAC) hosted a pride night during their game against the Ball State Cardinals (21-5, 13-1 MAC). These two teams have had vastly different outlooks on the season. The Cardinals were coming into Alumni Arena winners of seven straight games and looked to break their tie for the lead of the Mid-American Conference (MAC). The Bulls on the other hand, were looking just to find a win, amid a season filled with difficulties. The game was a very one-sided affair, with the Cardinals securing the win, and sole possession of the lead in the MAC standings. The Cardinals walked out with a victory, with a score of 88-55, in dominating fashion.
The game started in a hopeful manner for UB fans. The Bulls were able to keep pace in Ball State for the first five minutes. They were able to find points through passing, with three out of their first four field goals coming directly from an assist. With 3:30 left in the first quarter, it started to slip away. Ball State put up nine unanswered points, creating a deficit that they only increased as the game went on.
The second quarter was the strongest that UB would put up that night. They were able to limit the types of runs that Ball State had in the first quarter, and were able to keep a tighter deficit in the scoring. A couple of timely steals by junior guard Paula Lopez were able to really help close the gap in scoring substantially, setting the team up for easy scoring opportunities.
The second half was when the Cardinals really started to pour on the scoring, ensuring that there was no chance for a miracle comeback for the Bulls. They scored 23 and 24 points in the third and fourth respectively, compared to the Bulls 15 and 13 points. The Bulls defense just wasn't able to contain the Ball State offense for the entire contest.
The Bulls fell to 2-23 after this loss, 0-13 in the MAC. This loss marked the 17th consecutive loss for the team.
Drew Heckman is an assistant sports editor and can be reached at sports@ubspectrum.com
