Enduring three long road trips in 10 days seemed to finally take its toll on Ball State University's women's basketball team Saturday at the University of Toledo.
Playing on weathered legs, the Cardinals used a 13-4 run to pull within two with 1:41 left in regulation. However, Ball State never led down the stretch and dropped its first Mid-American Conference game of the season 72-66 to the Rockets.
"We just didn't execute at key times, and we had some mistakes at crucial moments," acting head coach Lisa McDonald said. "There was an element of fatigue down the stretch. The end of the game is when we're at our best. We just didn't have it [against Toledo] like we've had it in the past three games."
Ball State jumped out of the gates with a 12-8 lead just more than five minutes into the game. Behind solid half-court execution on both ends of the court, the Rockets pulled away with a 16-3 run midway through the opening period.
Despite turning the ball over 15 times, the Toledo held the Cardinals to 11 points off those miscues, the fewest Ball State had in its four MAC games.
"We definitely played to their level," senior forward Lisa Rusche said. "We dug ourselves in a hole early, and we just couldn't get out of it. It's frustrating when we can't get out on the fast break and run the floor."
Toledo played without its leading scorer and rebounder, Allie Clifton, who paces the Rockets with averages of 17.6 and 7.6, respectively. Despite the services of its best player, McDonald said, she wasn't surprised at how tough Toledo battled throughout the game.
"Their coach is one of the best in the MAC," McDonald said of Rockets' coach Mark Ehlen. "We knew he would have them ready to play. We weren't able to handle their response well enough."
Toledo's Tamesha Scotton came off the bench to pace four Rockets in double figures with 17 points. Lisa Johnson added 14 points and 11 rebounds for her team.
The Cardinals had five players post double figures for the second time in the last three games, including freshman Emily Maggert's 12 points. In four MAC games, Maggert is averaging 15.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
Ball State's loss snapped its first three-game win streak of the season and moves the Cardinals' record to 3-1 in conference play and 6-10 on the season. Rusche said her team is ready to get back on the court and try to generate a new stretch of success.
"This loss didn't hurt anybody's confidence at all," Rusche said. "I think Central [Michigan University] is going to be in for it because we're going to come out swinging next time."
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