Holding a 19-point lead in the second half, not many things could have doomed the Ball State women’s basketball team.
An offensive explosion from Crystal Bradford was one of them.
Central Michigan’s Bradford had just two points at half time but scored 24 in the final 25 minutes to knock off Ball State 84-81 in overtime.
“I expected that kind of performance from her,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said. “I think the assists maybe were the biggest part of her game and ended up helping them win.”
Bradford finished with a triple-double, registering 26 points to go along with 15 rebounds and 10 assists. Her team now stands at a perfect 10-0 in the conference.
The Cardinals pounded Bradford in the paint, double and triple teaming her as soon as she got close to the basket.
With so much of the Ball State defense focused on her, she’d quickly dump the ball off to Jas’Mine Bracey or Jessica Green, who would be underneath the hoop for an easy layup.
Sophomore forward Nathalie Fontaine had the difficult task of guarding Bradford, who was averaging 19.9 points per game heading into the match up, third highest in the Mid-American Conference.
Fontaine tried to keep Bradford in front of her, trying to force Bradford to drive right.
“We wanted to sit on her left hand, and whenever they brush screened, just switch and rotate,” Fontaine said. “Step up and try to take charges.”
Ball State drew three charges in the first half, visibly frustrating Bradford. Fontaine described defending her as tough because of Bradford’s skill set.
Length played a role in Bradford’s rebounding success. Standing at just six-foot, she used her long arms to out-reach Fontaine, who has two extra inches on Bradford.
With Ball State leading by eight with just two minutes left in the second half, Bradford drove and finished a layup through contact and hit the free throw, slicing the lead five. After a steal, she nailed a three-pointer to cut the lead to only two.
The Cardinals continued to pack the paint, making sure no basket would be easy for her. It didn’t matter, as she scored from long range when defenders gave her a cushion in order to avoid having Bradford blow past them.
Sallee sat, trying to think of what change occurred that allowed Bradford to ignite after halftime.
“Probably a good question for Crystal,” he said.
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