Ball State returned to Worthen Arena on Nov. 14 for its season opener against in-state foe Purdue, both teams looking to start their respective seasons off with a win.
Although the Cardinals managed a second-half comeback, the Boilermakers were able to win the battle and sustain the lead, ultimately defeating Ball State 66-60.
“We lost a lot of fifty balls out there and feel like that just made it seem worse than it actually was,” Cardinals' head coach Brady Sallee said. “We will definitely look back at the footage and find out if what was a foul and what was a fifty ball that didn’t go our way.”
Ball State fell behind early in the first half, as Purdue jumped out to a quick 12-point lead. The Cardinals fouled often and gave free-throw opportunities to the Boilermakers, who were 26-40 for the game.
Offensively, Ball State was failing to create opportunities, with passes off target causing a handful of turnovers.
At the mid-point of the first half however, junior guard Nathalie Fontaine came alive.
The preseason All-Mid-American Conference player found her rhythm cutting through the paint, scoring eight points in the final 10 minutes of the first half. She finished with 21 points.
Fontaine also reached a career landmark, reaching 1,000 points in her collegiate career.
“[Fontaine] is one of the best players in the MAC,” Purdue coach Sharon Versyp said. “We tried to stop her going right and she was still able to go left pull of some stuff we didn’t expect.”
Trailing by seven at the half, Ball State quickly closed the gap in the second half and grabbed a three point lead.
Purdue rallied back fast with a strong defense and efficient offense, not allowing the Cardinals to strengthen their lead. The Boilermakers were able to regain the lead late in the second half with more free-throw opportunities and come away with the six-point victory.
“We seemed to stick with our defensive strategy too long, and [Versyp] is a great coach that was able to figure out a way to beat it,” Sallee said.
The Cardinals are now 0-1 on the young season. Ball State will return to action Nov. 19 at Worthen Arena as it takes on Evansville at 7 p.m.
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