Ball State and Cincinnati battled back and forth throughout the contest, but the Bearcats won the final stretch, which propelled them to a 63-56 win. Here are four takeaways from the Cardinals' second loss of the season.
Game of runs
Neither team could control its lead for long. It was a game that saw 18 lead changes and five ties throughout.
Cincinnati started to push ahead in the third quarter, but Ball State turned up the intensity, as it went on a 7-0 run to tie the ballgame back up. The Bearcats didn’t flinch and responded with an 8-0 run to give them a 44-36 advantage heading into the fourth quarter.
The Cardinals kept fighting, as they outscored the Bearcats, 15-6, giving them a 51-50 lead with four minutes remaining, but three straight turnovers after the media timeout led to a 7-0 run for Cincinnati, and Ball State was never able to recover.
Anna Clephane stays consistent
Following her 16-point performance in the win Tuesday, redshirt freshman guard Anna Clephane led the Cardinals in scoring again Saturday, as she dropped 15.
Clephane has been able to get things going on the offensive end for Ball State in its first three outings, averaging a team-high 13.3 points per game. She’s been able to do it efficiently, as she sits at 60.9 percent shooting from the field and 40 percent from behind the 3-point line.
Clephane led the Cardinals' run in the fourth quarter that gave them the lead, as she scored eight of their 15.
Redshirt Freshman guard Anna Clephane falls down after shooting a basket Not. 5, 2019, in the IUPUI Gymnasium in Indianapolis, Ind. Clephane played 25 minutes against IUPUI. Jacob Musselman, DN
Sydney Freeman previews offensive talent
Freshman guard Sydney Freeman had her coming out party, as she let it fly from behind the arc, knocking down three of the Cardinals six 3-point shots. She was tied for the second-leading scorer on the Ball State stat sheet, as she dropped a career-high 11 points.
The point guard has the ability to score almost anywhere on the court, and the Cardinals will need her offensive play at that position going forward to be successful.
Cardinals show resilience in 4th quarter
Ball State put on its best performance in the fourth quarter, as it displayed high energy on the defensive end, which led to scores in transition, storming back from the largest deficit in the game.
The Cardinals' offensive efficiency was up, as they shot 61.5 percent from the field on 20 points and made three of their five attempts from deep. However, turnovers hurt the Cardinals in the final stretch, giving the Bearcats extra possessions, and they took advantage, which caused Ball State to fall short.
Contact Daric Clemens with comments at diclemens@bsu.edu or on Twitter @DaricClemens.
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