OXFORD, Ohio – A hot shooting first half helped Ball State jump to an early lead, and it held on for a 72-55 victory over the Miami University women’s basketball team on Wednesday evening. Miami falls to 3-16 on the season and 0-8 in the Mid-American Conference. The Cardinals improve to 10-9 overall and 6-2 in the MAC.
The RedHawks were led by freshman guard Baleigh Reid with 14 points. Miami shot 51.9 percent (14-for-27) from the field in the second half, but could not overcome a 4-for-24 (16.7 percent) performance in the first half.
A pair of free throws by junior forward Hannah McCue and a jumper from Reid gave Miami a 4-2 lead at the 17:39 mark. Ball State got hot from the field as it went on a 12-0 run to take a 14-4 advantage. McCue ended the drought with a pair of free throws, while a jumper from junior forward Jessica Rupright made it 14-8 with 12:28 left in the half.
Ball State answered with a 20-5 run to push its lead to 21 at 34-13. Redshirt sophomore Tamira Ford hit a layup after a nice pass from senior point guard Courtney Larson, but the Cardinals closed on a 10-2 run to take a 44-17 lead into the break.
Three-pointers from freshman guard Kayla Brown and Larson helped get the Miami offense going to begin the second half. A layup from Reid made it 48-24 at the 18:08 mark. The RedHawks’ shot went cold again as an 11-5 run by Ball State over the next five minutes gave it its largest lead at 59-29 with 13:02 to go.
Reid and Larson each hit jumpers as the offense answered with a run of its own. A jumper by freshman guard Jazz Smith, followed by a three-pointer from Smith was part of a 22-9 run that cut the deficit to 17 at 68-51. Smith and freshman guard Ana Richter each hit shots, but Miami was unable to get any closer as the Cardinals finished off a 72-55 victory.
In addition to Reid’s 14, Larson had 10, McCue had nine and Smith scored seven. McCue led the RedHawks with seven rebounds, while Brown had a career-high six assists. Freshman forward Molly McDonagh had a career-high five steals. Miami won the rebounding battle, 37-33. Ball State was led by guard Jill Morrison with 18 points.
The RedHawks return to action on Saturday when they host Western Michigan at 1 p.m. It is part of a doubleheader that will see the men’s basketball team take on Ball State at 3:30 p.m. Fans should be sure to arrive early as the annual KidsFest will take place on the concourse beginning at noon. This family friendly event features a free sports clinic from a variety of Miami varsity and club teams. Teams currently scheduled to participate are volleyball, soccer, golf, football, baseball, rugby, the juggling club, the dance team and the Miami ROTC. Kids will have the opportunity to interact with student athletes and club members and engage in different activities.
