Story Courtesy of Ball State Athletic Communications
CLEVELAND, Ohio - The top-seeded Ball State women's basketball team (25-7) defeated No. 8 Western Michigan (12-18) by a score of 82-53 Wednesday afternoon at Rocket Arena to advance to the 2025 Mid-American Conference Tournament semifinals for the fourth straight season.
It was an all-around team effort for the Cardinals, led by reigning MAC Player of the Week and Second Team All-MAC recipient, Alex Richard, who tallied 17 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field.
The MAC Player of the Year, Ally Becki, chipped in 14 points while dishing out eight assists. Madelyn Bischoff also added 14 points, while Marie Keifer, the MAC Defensive Player of the Year, finished the game with a double-double by scoring 10 points and pulling down 13 rebounds.
Nerves dominated the first few possessions, with a double missed shots and early turnovers. However, Richard would score at the top of the key on Ball State's third possession to get the offense on the right track. A few possessions later, Bischoff would knock down back-to-back 3-point baskets and the Cardinals would shoot a staggering 65 percent from the field in the first quarter to take a 25-15 lead after the opening 10 minutes.
The Cardinals hot shooting hand cooled off early in the second frame as Ball State only scored six points by the media timeout at the 3:13 mark. But the Broncos struggled just as much to get anything going. Some key rebounds by Ball State and a last second 3-pointer from Lachelle Austin put the stamp on the half with the Cardinals taking an 18-point advantage, at 38-20, into intermission.
After the break, Western Michigan came out of the gates strong on offense and defense outpacing Ball State 13-9 to make it a 47-33 ball game at the media break. It did not take long for the Cardinals to regroup, however, ending the third quarter with a 17-7 scoring spree to leave the Broncos speechless. As the final stanza was on the horizon Ball State would enter the last 10 minutes of play with a 24-point (64-40) cushion.
Despite the Broncos efforts the remainder of the game, the Cardinals kept their composure and stayed in control of their destiny ending the contest with an 82-53 victory.
For the game, the Cardinals shot 53 percent from the field, scoring 38 points in the paint along with 19 second-chance points for a well-balanced offense.
The top-seeded Ball State women's basketball team continues its journey for a Mid-American Conference Tournament title when it faces either fourth-seeded Kent State Golden Flashes or fifth-seeded Miami RedHawks Friday at 10 am ET in the first semifinal game.
