Senior Shala Crook and Amy Fuller have had their hands full playing at Northern Illinois the last four years. The duo lost its fourth game in as many tries to the Huskies 67-64, Saturday.
The high-scoring Cardinals (10-4 overall, 2-1 Mid-American Conference) were held under their season average of 79.6 points per game by tight defense and hard-nosed post play by the Huskies (8-7 overall, 3-1 MAC).
Roller said before the game that a big key for the Cardinals was going to be rebounding and how Ball State's post players reacted to the Huskies' post players.
The Cardinals fell short in the paint as they were out-rebounded 48-39 while being outscored in the paint 42-24.
"(Northern Illinois') post players established themselves early," head coach Tracy Roller said. "They got a lot of rebounds on offense and defense and controlled the ball well."
Northern's Jennifer Youngblood dominated the Cards in the paint as she pulled down 14 rebounds, including eight offensive boards, and led all scorers with 15 points.
As one of the best offensive teams in the Midwest, Ball State has relied on the three-point shot countless times to make up for a lacking defense. But offense could not save the team this time as the team's shooting struggled, according to Roller.
The Cards shot only 25 percent from behind the three-point line, well below their season average of 35.6 percent. Junior Tamara Bowie -- the MAC's leading scorer and reigning MAC Player of the Year -- only shot the ball nine times and was held to single-digit scoring for the second-straight game.
The team's second-leading scorer, sophomore Johna Goff, hit only one of nine attempts for seven points.
Still, Roller said the team "battled the entire game," not willing to give up.
It was Ball State's defense that kept the Cardinals in the game, forcing 20 Huskie turnovers and allowing only two 3-pointers, which helped offset the differential in the paint.
But the Cardinals' lack of offense gave Northern its opportunity as it made up a five-point deficit in the second half to seal the win.
Ball State shot only 27.6 percent from the field in the second half on 8-29 shooting.
"We played very solid defense," Roller said. "We just couldn't score.
"We came into the game well prepared. But so did they."
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