Meredith Miller of Western Michigan (8-9, 2-4 MAC) was the deciding factor Saturday against Ball State (7-12, 2-5 MAC), draining four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to grant the Broncos a 65-62 win.
“I say this all the time, but the wins and the losses are just a by-product,” Ball State head coach Brady Sallee said. “We don’t like the way we ended the game, but we played well. I thought we followed the plan well, and some things are out of your control. You have to be able to play through that.”
It was evident that Miller would be a problem for the Cardinals from the get-go with two of her seven threes coming early in the first quarter. While she was quiet throughout the second and third quarters, she was the primary factor in cutting the Broncos’ 14-point deficit in the fourth.
Deja Wimby also posed a major threat to the Cardinals, posting 21 points and leading the team with 12 rebounds, grabbing her fourth double-double of the season. The guard has led the Broncos throughout the duration of the season, averaging 13 points per game and, prior to Saturday, recording a season-high 20 points against Loyola.
Sophomore forward Oshlynn Brown was the standout yet again for the Cardinal squad, grabbing her second double-double of the week and shooting 85 percent from the free-throw line. Freshman forward Thelma Dis Agustsdóttir made her presence known as well, making every shot from the field as well as the free-throw line.
“This team plays well together,” Agustsdóttir said. “Our distribution of the ball is a big factor, especially having [Brown] down low.”
Along with Brown and Agustsdóttir, senior guard Nakeya Penny played her part, dropping 11 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Sallee said Penny gave the team a spark in the moments that mattered most.
“[Penny] is giving it everything she’s got in her last go-around,” Sallee said. “It’s what you hope a senior is going to be for you. Her nine rebounds were big today. I know she wants to continue to contribute like that, and I’m all for it.”
It took the Cardinals a moment to wake up in the first quarter where they committed six turnovers. Despite the turnovers and the outside shots failing to fall, the Cardinals managed to take the lead by the end of the 10-minute period. The Cardinals shot 55 percent from the field and 75 percent from the free-throw line in the quarter.
While the Broncos managed to keep their turnovers tame, registering only 11 throughout the game, the team’s crutch was shooting percentage early. The Broncos averaged just 29 percent from the field in the first three quarters.
Once Miller started hitting in the fourth quarter, there was no stopping her. While the Cardinals led throughout the entirety of the game, Miller was the edge the Broncos needed to seal the victory in the final moments, handing the Cardinals their fifth loss in conference play.
Ball State will host Buffalo on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Worthen Arena.
Contact Gabi Glass with any comments at grglass@bsu.edu or on Twitter @gabiglassbsu.
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