Wincing in pain, Audrey McDonald slowly got up after she fell hard onto her left elbow midway through the first half in Sunday's game against the University of Buffalo.
After the Ball State University guard walked off the court, the Cardinals offense with six players averaging in double figures was held to 20 points in the first half leading to the 73-62 loss and Ball State's second straight Mid-American Conference defeat of the season.
Acting head coach Lisa McDonald said her team was waiting for someone to step up.
"One spark will ignite our energy, and for some reason we just could not get it ignited tonight," McDonald said. "It's been different people throughout the conference season. It's been [Kiley] Jarrett one night, it's Porchia Green another night, Audrey [McDonald], Julie [DeMuth] or Emily [Maggert]. We just could never find it tonight."
A Bulls 9-2 run after the McDonald injury forced a 13-point lead at 22-9 with 7:18 remaining in the first half. A Jarrett 3-pointer with 1:54 left would pull the Cardinals within eight, but Buffalo would answer with two straight Stephanie Bennett rainbows from behind the arc to force a 32-20 Ball State deficit at halftime.
The Bulls offense would continue to out shoot the Cardinals in the second half. Bennett's 24 points and eight rebounds along with Jamie Schiebner's 16 points and 10 boards never allowed Ball State to pull within seven points the remainder of the game.
Julie DeMuth led the Cardinals with 16 points and 10 rebounds, while Kyleigh Jones saw her first playing time since Dec. 8, recording six points in 24 minutes.
Ball State shot 36 percent from the floor during the contest. The women are winless on the season when they shoot below 40 percent.
"I think it's definitely put on us," Rusche said. "We can give credit to Buffalo but we didn't come ready to play."
The loss of McDonald early hurt Ball State's scoring potential Lisa McDonald said. The sophomore has averaged 11 points per game in conference play, shooting 43 percent from behind the arc.
Lisa McDonald said Audrey McDonald will have an X-ray on her elbow Sunday night which will determine the severity of her injury.
"We missed her in every phase of the game," Lisa McDonald said. "She brings so much that will never show up on a stat sheet like her presence on the court and what she gives us defensively. Without her we are a completely different team."
The loss drops Ball State to 9-12 on the season and 5-3 in MAC play, trailing two games to division leading Western Michigan University.
"I'm not concerned with the loss as much as I'm concerned with our mentality and the lack of energy," McDonald said. "If there is one thing I know about this team, it's that I know they never quit."
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