The women's basketball team erased a 17-point deficit and defeated Kent State 75-70 on Saturday thanks to freshman Julie DeMuth's career performance.
Kent State (10-7, 3-3 Mid-American Conference) held Ball State's top two scorers, Kate Endress and Tina Bolte, down for much of the game, but DeMuth proved to be the difference in the post.
"They were doing such a good job on those two that it opened up the middle," head coach Tracy Roller said. "It took me awhile to see it and finally when I did we started getting it in there."
DeMuth scored 27 points and pulled down 18 rebounds, both career highs. The 18 boards also tied a Worthen Arena record.
"The best thing that our staff did was move her to the four spot, ever since then she's flourished," Roller said. "She played like a person possessed."
DeMuth was the only Cardinal to score more than three points in the first half. She had half of the team's 10 field goals for 17 points. When Kent State scored the last seven points of the first half, BSU went into the break down 41-31.
Ball State (8-9, 4-2) continued to struggle in the second half and when Kent State's Melissa Degrate hit a three-pointer with 14:29 remaining, it give her team its largest lead.
After a timeout Ball State scored seven straight to get within 10 and then a little later went on a 13-4 run over a four-minute span to pull within 65-62.
Endress' layup off Raechelle Hampton's assist gave the Cardinals their first lead of the second half with 1:33 remaining at 68-67. Ball State led the rest of the way as Hampton added a layup and Bolte sealed the victory with free throws.
"I got to give our defense credit too," Roller said after the game. "We got stops when we needed to there at the end."
DeMuth said she was glad BSU got the win, otherwise her career-best night wouldn't have felt good at all.
"We just really held together, some of those timeouts were pretty rough, but I don't think anybody doubted us," DeMuth said. "In the second half everything was clicking it was great."
DeMuth recorded 13 of her 18 rebounds in the second half, many on the offensive end, giving her team plenty of chances to chip the lead away.
"Julie at times looked like the only one fighting back when they were getting physical," Roller said. "That's what she does best. This is Julie's kind of game."
The Mid-American Conference's top two scorers, Endress and Kent State's Lindsay Shearer, each scored 16. Kent State shot better then the the Cardinals, but lost the rebounding battle 43-31.
Endress said she was proud of DeMuth for stepping up.
"Julie was unbelievable tonight," Endress said. "I was getting face guarded and having a hard time getting open off screens, but that's what makes good teams great is when one person can't get the ball or get touches someone else steps up, and obviously Julie DeMuth played tremendous tonight."
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