For the first time this season the women's basketball team lost consecutive Mid-American Conference games, sending them to fourth place in the MAC West Division. A week ago they were a half game out of first place.
Ball State (11-12, 7-5) lost to Marshall 71-50 on Sunday after a 6:29 scoreless drought at the end of the first half put them in a 15-point hole.
The Thundering Herd (15-7, 9-2) have now won ten straight games and have set themselves apart in the East Division.
Head coach Tracy Roller said her team appears to be tired, since the past two games it has been unable to hit shots. BSU shot 37 percent on Sunday, while Marshall shot 44 percent.
"I just really think it's those four games in ten days catching up to us," she said. "That's when mental mistakes start coming out too. That hurt us a lot."
Marshall jumped out to an 11-2 lead, but Ball State scored seven straight to answer. The Cardinals got within two points three more times, but Julie DeMuth's layup that made it 24-22 with 6:29 remaining was the Cardinals' last basket of the half. Marshall scored 13 points during that span and took a 37-22 lead into halftime.
Roller said it didn't help that both Endress and DeMuth were in foul trouble early and had limited minutes.
"Really we just didn't play well in the first half, especially offensively," Roller said. "The first half just put us in a humongous hole going into the locker room."
Sophomore Becca Bajorek's jumper followed by Tina Bolte's 3-pointer got the Cardinals within 10 points with 9:07 remaining in the second half. Seconds later, however, Endress picked up her fourth foul and had to exit the game.
Marshall scored six straight after that to get its advantage back to 16, and it only got worse.
Bolte led the Cardinals with 14 points while junior Raechelle Hampton, who scored nine points, had career highs in rebounds (13) and blocks (five).
"I thought Raechelle, in the second half for sure, played with a lot of heart," Roller said. "She was a big key for us."
For just the third time this season Endress was held to single digits. She scored only eight points on 3-for-17 shooting, which included 2 for 5 from behind the three-point arc.
BSU's defense was able to hold Sikeetha Shepard-Hall, Marshall's leading scorer, to just six points. The Herd still finished with three players in double figures.
"Anytime you hold Shepard-Hall under 10 your defensive effort is top notch," Roller said.
Ball State won the rebounding battle 46-45. They pulled down 17 of those on the offensive end, however, many times were unable to capitalize, finishing with just seven second chance points.
The Cardinals now have a bye week in which they can take time off to rest before their next game on Saturday.
"This break was very timely for us," Roller said. "I think the team will take advantage of it."
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