Ethan Gerald is a Ball State student who was excited to move into his first rental house, as he believed it would be cleaned up by the time he moved in. However, he and his roommates found themselves in a house with broken windows, mold, obscene graffiti and a leaky roof.

Ball State student Anna Harp was satisfied with her first apartment, until she moved out and received a bill for hundreds of dollars in damages. Harp said the issues already existed and some charges - such as the cost of replacing a burnt out light bulb - should have been considered normal wear and tear.

Height affects everyone in different ways. The video hears from men and women above and below the average American height. According to Medical News Today, 5'10 is the average height for males and 5'4 is the average for females. The participants discuss advantages, disadvantages, and advice for people about being comfortable about their height.

So why is height so important in our daily lives? A lot of it has to do with day to day activities that make people's lives easier, but a lot of it also stems from societal views.

Psychology tells us that even from a young age, people of taller heights are viewed as more powerful and are seen as the leaders. The National Geographic reports that the act of having to look up to someone while they look down at you creates a power dynamic.

There are other societal factors that are specific to gender. Men are preferred to be tall, while women are preferred to be short. People who defy those societal norms can often be subject to bullying and self-esteem issues.

Ball Bearings magazine wanted to show people that no matter what height someone is, they are beautiful! The height of someone reaches is the height they're going to be for the rest of their lives. Ball State students encourage others to be comfortable with their height and to love themselves for it.

Articles of impeachment against President Donald Trump, the public being misled about the Afghanistan War, unintentional shootings by law enforcement officers, the Golden Globe nominations and rapper Juice WRLD's death make up this week's five national stories.

Democrats unveil 2 articles of impeachment articles against Trump

House Democrats have announced two articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress. The charges unveiled Tuesday stem from Trump's pressure on Ukraine to announce investigations of his political rivals as he withheld aid to the country. Earlier Tuesday, Trump tweeted he did "NOTHING" wrong and that impeaching a president with his record would be "sheer Political Madness!"

Read More: Trump impeachment inquiry

Report: US misled public on progress in Afghanistan war

The U.S. government across three White House administrations misled the public about failures in the Afghanistan war, often suggesting success where it didn't exist, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. They reveal deep frustrations about America's conduct of the Afghanistan war, including the ever-changing U.S. strategy, struggles to develop an effective Afghan fighting force and persistent failures to defeat the Taliban and combat government corruption.

Read more: Afghanistan

Accidental shootings raise questions about arming teachers

An Associated Press investigation documented 1,422 unintentional shootings by law enforcement officers at 258 agencies since 2012. Twenty-two occurred at schools or college campuses, raising doubts about whether more guns would keep students safe. At least nine states have passed laws allowing employees to carry firearms at K-12 school grounds and 19 states allow anyone with permission from a school authority to be armed at schools.

Read more: Shootings

Led by 'Marriage Story,' Netflix dominates Golden Globes noms

With 34 total nominations, including four films up for best picture and four series nominated for the top television awards, a Netflix wave swept over the 77th Golden Globe nominations. Noah Baumbach's divorce drama "Marriage Story" led all films with six nominations including best picture, drama, Baumbach's script, Laura Dern's supporting performance, Randy Newman's score and acting nods for its two leads, Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.

Read More: Golden Globe Awards

Rapper treated for opioids during police search of plane

Rapper Juice WRLD died Sunday after a "medical emergency" at Chicago's Midway International Airport. Acting on a tip that a private plane coming from Los Angeles was carrying guns and drugs, federal agents and Chicago police officers were waiting at the airport. A federal agent administered the opioid antidote Narcan to the performer, who briefly woke up incoherent but later died, after the rapper's girlfriend said he had been taking the opioid painkiller Percocet.

Read More: Juice WRLD

WASHINGTON (AP) - House Democrats announced two articles of impeachment Tuesday against President Donald Trump - abuse of power and obstruction of Congress - pushing toward historic votes over charges he corrupted the U.S. election process and endangered national security in his dealings with Ukraine.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi, flanked by the chairmen of the impeachment inquiry committees, stood at the Capitol for what she called a "solemn act.″ Voting is expected in a matter of days in the Judiciary Committee and by Christmas in the full House. Trump insisted he did nothing wrong and his reelection campaign called it "rank partisanship."

"He endangers our democracy; he endangers our national security," said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., the Judiciary chairman announcing the charges before a portrait of George Washington. "Our next election is at risk. ... That is why we must act now."

Trump tweeted ahead of the announcement that impeaching a president with a record like his would be "sheer Political Madness!"

The outcome, though, appears increasingly set as the House prepares for voting, as it has only three times in history against a U.S. president. Approval of the charges would send them to the Senate in January, where the Republican majority would be unlikely to convict Trump.

Democratic leaders say Trump put his political interests above those of the nation when he asked Ukraine to investigate his rivals, including Democrat Joe Biden, and then withheld $400 million in military aid as the U.S. ally faced an aggressive Russia. They say he then tried obstructed Congress by stonewalling the House investigation.

In drafting the articles of impeachment, Pelosi faced a legal and political challenge of balancing the views of her majority while hitting the Constitution's bar of "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

Some liberal lawmakers wanted more expansive charges encompassing the findings from former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Centrist Democrats preferred to keep the impeachment articles more focused on Trump's actions toward Ukraine. House Democrats have announced two articles of impeachment charging President Donald Trump with abuse of power and obstruction of Congress.

When asked during a Monday evening event if she had enough votes to impeach the Republican president, Pelosi said she would let House lawmakers vote their conscience.

"On an issue like this, we don't count the votes. People will just make their voices known on it," Pelosi said at The Wall Street Journal CEO Council. "I haven't counted votes, nor will I."

Trump, who has declined to mount a defense in the actual House hearings, tweeted Tuesday just as the six Democratic House committee chairmen prepared to make their announcement.

"To Impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country's history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness! #2020Election," he wrote on Twitter.

The president also spent part of Monday tweeting against the impeachment proceedings. He and his allies have called the process "absurd."

The next steps emerged in the swiftly moving proceedings as Pelosi convened a meeting of the impeachment committee chairmen at her office in the Capitol late Monday following an acrimonious, nearly 10-hour hearing at the Judiciary Committee, which could vote as soon as this week.

"I think there's a lot of agreement," Rep. Eliot Engel of New York, the Democratic chairman of the Foreign Affairs committee, told reporters as he exited Pelosi's office. "A lot of us believe that what happened with Ukraine especially is not something we can just close our eyes to."

At the Judiciary hearing, Democrats said Trump's push to have Ukraine investigate rival Joe Biden while withholding U.S. military aid ran counter to U.S. policy and benefited Russia as well as himself.

"President Trump's persistent and continuing effort to coerce a foreign country to help him cheat to win an election is a clear and present danger to our free and fair elections and to our national security," said Dan Goldman, the director of investigations at the House Intelligence Committee, presenting the finding of the panel's 300-page report of the inquiry.

Republicans rejected not just Goldman's conclusion of the Ukraine matter; they also questioned his very appearance before the Judiciary panel. In a series of heated exchanges, they said Rep. Adam Schiff, the chairman of the Intelligence Committee, should appear rather than sending his lawyer.

From the White House, Trump tweeted repeatedly, assailing the "Witch Hunt!" and "Do Nothing Democrats."

In drafting the articles of impeachment, Pelosi is facing a legal and political challenge of balancing the views of her majority while hitting the Constitution's bar of "treason, bribery or other high crimes and misdemeanors."

Some liberal lawmakers wanted more expansive charges encompassing the findings from former special counsel Robert Mueller's probe of Russian interference in the 2016 election. Centrist Democrats preferred to keep the impeachment articles more focused on Trump's actions toward Ukraine.

Nadler was blunt as he opened Monday's hearing, saying, "President Trump put himself before country."

Trump's conduct, Nadler said at the end of the daylong hearing, "is clearly impeachable."

Rep. Doug Collins of Georgia, the top Republican on the committee, said Democrats are racing to jam impeachment through on a "clock and a calendar" ahead of the 2020 presidential election.

"They can't get over the fact that Donald Trump is the president of the United States, and they don't have a candidate that can beat him," Collins said.

In one testy exchange, Republican attorney Stephen Castor dismissed the transcript of Trump's crucial call with Ukraine as "eight ambiguous lines" that did not amount to the president seeking a personal political favor.

Democrats argued vigorously that Trump's meaning could not have been clearer in seeking political dirt on Biden, his possible opponent in the 2020 election.

The Republicans tried numerous times to halt or slow the proceedings, and the hearing was briefly interrupted early on by a protester shouting, "We voted for Donald Trump!" The protester was escorted from the House hearing room by Capitol Police.

The White House is refusing to participate in the impeachment process. Trump and and his allies acknowledge he likely will be impeached in the Democratic-controlled House, but they also expect acquittal next year in the Senate, where Republicans have the majority.

The president focused Monday on the long-awaited release of the Justice Department report into the 2016 Russia investigation. The inspector general found that the FBI was justified in opening its investigation into ties between the Trump presidential campaign and Russia and that the FBI did not act with political bias, despite "serious performance failures" up the bureau's chain of command.

Democrats say Trump abused his power in a July 25 phone call when he asked Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy for a favor in investigating Democrats. That was bribery, they say, since Trump was withholding nearly $400 million in military aid that Ukraine depended on to counter Russian aggression.

Pelosi and Democrats point to what they call a pattern of misconduct by Trump in seeking foreign interference in elections from Mueller's inquiry of the Russia probe to Ukraine.

In his report, Mueller said he could not determine that Trump's campaign conspired or coordinated with Russia in the 2016 election. But Mueller said he could not exonerate Trump of obstructing justice in the probe and left it for Congress to determine.

___

Associated Press writers Julie Pace, Laurie Kellman, Matthew Daly and Eric Tucker contributed to this report.

Sophie Nulph is a sophomore journalism major and writes "Open-Minded" for The Daily News. Her views do not necessarily agree with those of the newspaper.

We all remember waking up our parents up at 7 a.m. Christmas morning to run down the stairs and see the presents Santa Claus left under the tree. My family traditionally would wake up, eat muffins and bacon and open gifts. After opening all of the presents, we would get dressed and head down to southern Indiana to see our extended family. We would always spend the night at the Holiday Inn in Columbus, Indiana. Why? Simply because it's a tradition.

Holiday traditions differ from family to family, but they are all traditions for a reason. There are emotions, sentiments and memories wrapped up in each Christmas morning that prevent people from wanting to stray away and try something new. As kids grow up, move out and get married, it becomes harder to keep these traditions alive. People get so caught up in trying to keep them alive that they lose sight of the possibility that new traditions can be formed.

Embracing new traditions doesn't mean the old ones are gone forever; they are simply memories we learn to treasure.

I'm a 19-year-old college student with a long-term significant other and four older siblings who all have significant others as well. It has become almost impossible to keep that 7 a.m. wake-up call alive. Nowadays, we usually open gifts around 3 p.m., eat around 4 p.m. and go our separate ways.

This isn't the tradition we necessarily wanted or planned, but it is the one that I have learned to cherish. The fact that the traditional 7 a.m. wake-up call is no longer attainable doesn't stop me from beginning to cherish the new 3 p.m. tradition that has formed. I still get excited to rip the wrapping paper and attempt to toss it in the giant black trash bag after staring at the gifts, longing to open them, for six long hours.

We used to all decorate the house the day after Thanksgiving. We would work together in an assembly line to get all the boxes out of the attic and downstairs. Now, everyone works the day after Thanksgiving, and whoever is available that day helps decorate. Otherwise, my mom would run out of motivation to decorate our three-story house and put up our three differently-themed Christmas trees. Yes, we have three - a bird-themed tree in our foyer, our Radko tree in our living room and our Steelers-themed tree set up in the corner of our Pittsburgh-themed basement.

We used to get a real Christmas tree and decorate it with all of our homemade ornaments. Now, we use the Christmas tree and glass Radko ornaments we inherited from my grandparents when they passed away.

Christmas is a pitch-in now - each kid signs up for a dish to bring. We don't see my aunts and uncles in Columbus anymore because it's too far away for each of us to drive. We celebrate with them in January now.

While these traditions took some time to get used to, my family has learned to cherish the new traditions that have been created. As individuals, we all know we can't continue what feels like hundreds of holiday traditions we used to do each year in the high speed and stressful gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas. But as a family, we don't want to let go. Once we finally let go of the past that we cling so desperately to in an attempt to avoid change, we can see new traditions forming and look back at old ones with fondness.

These new traditions don't take anything away from the sentiment of Christmas. The holiday season is about getting together and celebrating - whether your family celebrates Christmas, Hannakuh, Kwanzaa or you all hate the holidays. This time of year is about togetherness, and new traditions don't steal that away. Traditions are allowed to learn and grow with us, starting over with the creation of a new family who can't wait for the day their kid wakes them up at 7 a.m.

Contact Sophie Nulph with comments at smnulph@bsu.edu.

"I grew up in the flower business," Benken said. "My parents owned a flower shop here in town, but not this one."

As a young child, Benken would often lick stamps and help with statements. As she got older, she was able to help the family business even more.

"When I was 16 I would deliver flowers after school and learned to do wedding work and I delivered those too," said Benken.

Benken ended up going off to college. Then after college, she moved to Ohio where she lived for four years. While being away from her family's flower shop business, Benken tried multiple jobs.

"I thought 'this is my chance to get out of the flower business' and I looked for a job and I ended up at a veterinarian," said Benken. "But I missed the flower business. The holidays rolled around and it just wasn't the same."

Benken was shocked at how the holidays did not feel the same when she was not working in a flower shop.

"Christmas wasn't the same. Mother's day wasn't the same. Valentines day wasn't the same," Benken said. "because in the flower business those are just nutty holidays."

While still living in Ohio, Benken quit her job with the veterinarian and worked for a florist in Ohio.

"In the meantime, my dad had retired from the flower business and my brother had taken over the shop and my dad was selling real estate," said Benken. "Well this old flower shop came up for sale and he and my husband at the time decided we should buy it."

That's when Benken decided she was ready to start her own flower shop in downtown Muncie, Normandy Flower Shop. Benken always knew she wanted to raise her children in Muncie, so they started the process to buy the shop.

"We put a bid in on it and had no idea they had accepted it until two weeks before we were supposed to be here," said Benken. "We had two weeks to put our house up for sale and pack up and come to Muncie."

Now, years later, Benken has raised four kids and two of them are currently working at her flower shop.

"For years I thought I would grow up and figure out what I wanted to do and I guess this is it," said Benken. "By the time I turned 40 or 50 I thought 'you know I guess this is what I'm supposed to be doing."

Benken says it would be nice to eventually retire and have some time off. But until then, she will continue to work at the flower shop.

The shooting by a Saudi gunman at a Florida naval base, a volcano eruption in New Zealand, Hong Kong protests, North Korea's rocket engine tests and Britain's upcoming elections make up this week's five international stories.

Saudi gunman tweeted against US before naval base shooting

The Saudi gunman who killed three people at the Pensacola, Florida, naval base had apparently gone on Twitter shortly before the shooting to blast U.S. support of Israel and accuse America of being anti-Muslim, a U.S. official said Sunday as the FBI confirmed it is operating on the assumption the attack was an act of terrorism. Investigators are also trying to establish whether the killer, from the Royal Saudi Air Force, acted alone or was part of a larger plot.

Read more: Pensacola

5 dead, many more missing in eruption of New Zealand volcano

A volcanic island in New Zealand erupted Monday in a tower of ash and steam while dozens of tourists were exploring the moon-like surface, killing five people and leaving many more missing. Police Deputy Commissioner John Tims said there were fewer than 50 people on the island when it erupted, and 23 had been taken off, including the five dead. Brad Scott, a volcanologist, said the eruption sent a plume of steam and ash about 12,000 feet into the air.

Read more: New Zealand

Hong Kong protests mark 6-month mark with massive rally

Crowds of 800,000 demonstrators, according to the organizers, crammed Sunday into Hong Kong's streets in a mass show of support for the protest movement entering its seventh month. Chanting "Fight for freedom" and "Stand with Hong Kong," the sea of protesters formed a huge human snake winding for blocks on Hong Kong Island, a distance of longer than 1.25 miles. It was one of the biggest rallies in months and remarkably peaceful.

Read more: Hong Kong

N. Korea believed to test new rocket engine to provoke US

A day after North Korea said it had performed a "very important test" at its long-range rocket launch site, there is wide speculation that it involved a new engine for either a space launch vehicle or a long-range missile. Whatever it was, the North Korean announcement suggests the country is preparing to do something to provoke the United States if Washington doesn't back down and make concessions in deadlocked nuclear negotiations.

Read more: North Korea

Britain faces most history-shaping election since WWII

The 20th century saw Britain fight alongside and against Europeans and then help make the prosperous peace into the 21st century. This election will help determine where Britain's formal relationship with the European Union lands and what the impact will be on all walks of life. The polarized electorate now has a critical choice to make - but it seems unlikely the result, whatever it may be, will heal deep and toxic divisions that could last a generation or more.

Read more: London

The email said Muncie Police Department was investigating the report with assistance from the University Police Department.

At around 12:30 a.m. Monday the alert system said there was no ongoing threat to campus.

This story will be updated.

Going 7-of-8 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range allowed him to come into his own Saturday. Coleman gained more experience in a starting role Saturday, and Ball State had the right combination to get off to a fast start on both sides of the ball.

"I felt that I had more time to get comfortable by being in longer and adjust to the speed of the game," Coleman said. "We are at our best in transition. It is the easiest way to get buckets for us."

Coleman re-entered the starting lineup for the Cardinals after coming off the bench against Loyola Chicago and wasted no time getting into the scoring column. At the 17:22 mark, Coleman pulled up on the right side of the arc and connected. There was no looking back after that, as he would rattle off seven more points in the first half and go into halftime as the team's second-leading scorer.

Taking care of the ball was a big factor for Ball State. Coleman was responsible for two of the team's nine turnovers on the afternoon. On the defensive side, the Cardinals forced the Jaguars to commit 16 turnovers. Of those 16, Ball State was able to score 20 points off of turnovers. The ability to turn defense into offense was a point of emphasis for Ball State.

"They shot 30 percent from the field. That gave us a lot of opportunities to get out and go," head coach James Whitford said. "We really shared the ball on offense. Guys being patient and locked in on getting great shots."

Coleman was able to score his 20 points in just under 20 minutes of play. Making the extra pass and doing it quickly with precision allowed Ball State and Coleman to be efficient on offense. The assist-to-turnover ratio was more of what the Cardinals want to see regularly.

"I thought we played hard, and we played focused," Whitford said. "Guys being patient and locked in on getting great shots, keeping our turnovers down and sharing the ball is a big part of us being successful."

The ability of Coleman to settle into the offense early allowed him to find more open shots and adjust to the speed of the game. The pace of play for the Cardinals created 10 fast-break points to the Jaguars' five.

Contact Grant Covey with comments at gacovey@bsu.edu or on Twitter @grant_covey.

Dee Givens was unstoppable

Western Kentucky forward Dee Givens came into the contest averaging third-best in points for the Lady Toppers with 15.3 a game. She turned it up a notch against the Cardinals and was able to get buckets at will.

Givens had a career night, as she dropped 41 points, which was a record amount by a woman at Worthen Arena. She had it going from all over the court and did it efficiently, shooting 50 percent from the field and making six 3-pointers. The Cardinals could never really find someone that could slow her down, and it ultimately gave the Lady Toppers the advantage.

Oshlynn Brown puts up season highs

Junior forward Oshlynn Brown didn't back down, and she answered the Lady Toppers' attack in the second half, putting up season high numbers in points with 22 and rebounds with 14.

Brown pounded the ball inside and was getting what she wanted at the rim, which showed in the stat book, as she made 8-of-12 attempts. She also got to the free-throw line frequently and cashed in on 6-of-10 shots.

However, no bucket was more important than her layup with about 18 seconds left that tied the ballgame at 75, giving the Cardinals a chance in the bonus period.

Team effort leads Cardinal offense

Ball State has leaned on a balanced attack offensively throughout the early season, and that continued against Western Kentucky. The Cardinals received scoring from all but one player who got minutes, as 10 Cardinals found themselves in the scoring column. Four of them were able to reach the double-digit mark.

The Cardinals' roster has showed its scoring can come from almost anywhere at each given game. Its distribution of points can make it harder for other teams to key in on one person, as others have shown they can step up.

Hot start

The first half served the Cardinals well, as they were on a roll from the tipoff. Sophomore forward Blake Smith was active in the first quarter, leading Ball State with eight of her total 10 points in just that frame alone.

As a team, the Cardinals shot 57.6 percent from the field, which was enough to give them a 43-38 lead heading into the break.

Ball State relied on its inside presence to do the scoring, as it only attempted five 3-point shots and made one. The Cardinals finished the contest scoring 60 of their 86 points in the paint.

Contact Daric Clemens with comments atdiclemens@bsu.eduor on Twitter@DaricClemens.

Day one of the invitational started strong with the eighth-fastest time in school history in the women's 200 freestyle relay. The team of freshmen Apsara Sakbun and Makayla Miller, sophomore Alexa McDonald and senior Peighton Gilbert finished second in the event with a time of 1:34.55. On the men's side, senior Ben Andrew set a personal best of 1:51.94 in the 200 individual medley. That moved him into fifth all time at Ball State in the event.

Sakbun set a lifetime best in the 50 free in preliminary qualification earlier in the day, and in the finals, she took the win and moved to fifth in school history with a time of 23.42, taking an additional .06 seconds off of her lifetime best from earlier in the day.

"It was a fantastic meet," head coach Jeremy Agnew said. "For a midseason benchmark, the team competed extremely hard. We battled through a little adversity."

In an odd turn of events, day two was over before it really started. Due to issues with the pool and fear of a potential contamination, the finals were cancelled. This problem didn't prevent a little history from being made, though. Andrew broke his own school record with a time of 48.37 in the 100 fly. He also moved to second all time in the 100 breaststroke at Ball State. Freshman Sydney Dygert moved to occupy the eighth and ninth all-time positions in the 400 individual medley and 100 fly, respectively. Freshman Shelby Crist moved to fifth in the 100 back, and freshman Jared Holder moved to seventh in the same event.

The freshmen being able to come in and be competitive immediately was something Agnew said he was hoping to see from day one.

"Our freshmen class is big," Agnew said. "We have 20 freshmen across both the men and women teams, so they have to be depended on right away. We recruited them with the purpose that they would come in and make an impact. So, to see them stepping up and racing at a high level like this is really exciting."

Day three was also delayed over three hours due to issues with the pool, but the delays, and ultimately cancellation, of sessions gave the teams a chance to grow as a unit and tested their ability to adapt.

"They've got to handle change," Agnew said. "We looked at it as an opportunity to get more rest. We came back the next day and found out the morning was cancelled and said, 'OK, this is a chance to enjoy your teammates. Relax, and enjoy your team and be ready for tonight.'"

Senior Logan Ackley tied for first in the men's 200 backstroke, coming just .6 seconds away from breaking his own school record in the event.

The swim and dive teams now get over a month off during the semester break. The women host Toledo Jan 16, and the men are back in action the next day at Evansville.

Contact Matt Sharp with comments at mtsharp@bsu.edu or on Twitter @sharpmatthew66.

Senior Dee Givens was the story of the day, setting a new individual opponent scoring record for Worthen Arena. Givens totaled 41 points on the day, shooting 14-for-28 from the field and 43 percent from behind the arc.

"We knew how good they were coming in," head coach Brady Sallee. "I learned a lot about my team today and how good we are. For us, it probably came down to missed layups, missed free throws and going minus seven on the boards in the second half."

Things started out in the Cardinals' favor, as they held the lead throughout the majority of the contest. Sophomore forward Blake Smith guided the Cardinals through the first quarter, registering eight points off nine shots.

Brown and freshman guard Sydney Freeman were benched early in the second with two fouls each, while Givens posted 21 of the team's 38 points after two quarters. Givens took 15 shots throughout the half, while nobody else on her team took more than six.

The Cardinals' outside shots were failing to fall, but it was points in the paint that pushed them ahead. The Hilltoppers scored just 16 inside compared to the Cardinals' 36 between Smith's buckets from the block and layups from the likes of Brown, freshman guard Estel Puiggros and others.

"We knew if we could penetrate the frontline pressure, whether its passing or dribbling, we knew we would have some openings in there that could work," Sallee said. "[Brown] is a big part of those points in the paint, and she came out in the second half with a ferocity that was fun to watch."

After scoring just five in the first half, Brown came out in the third quarter with a chip on her shoulder, leading the Cardinals in scoring and rebounding to end the day.

"After having to sit out seven minutes in the first half, I knew what I had to do in the second," Brown said. "I knew what this game was going to be, and I knew where I could get my easy points was in the paint."

It was back-and-forth in the third quarter, with Givens pushing her team past the Cardinals at 53-51 for its first lead of the game since minute seven of the first quarter.

Graduate student guard Jasmin Samz hit the Cardinals' second three of the game entering the fourth quarter to give them a one-point lead at 60-59. That was followed by another three from sophomore forward Thelma Dis Agustsdottir.

Things heated up entering the final minute of the contest when the Hilltoppers were up three, credit to Givens' 35 points. It came down to the last 15 seconds, as Brown laid one over the rim to tie it, and the Hilltoppers failed to answer, sending the game into overtime.

The Hilltoppers hit 6-of-10 from the field in the extra five minutes, outscoring the Cardinals 16-11 and handing them the victory.

Despite the loss, 10 players on the Cardinal squad registered points with Samz's 13 points following Brown's lead. Smith and redshirt freshman guard Anna Clephane both posted double digits as well.

"We have a bunch of kids who can score," Sallee said. "Whether it's [Clephane] or [Annie Rauch], we have confidence in a lot of people. That balanced attack is something I'm proud of in this group because it's hard to guard. The strength of our team is our balance."

Contact Gabi Glass with comments at grglass@bsu.edu or on Twitter @gabiglassbsu.

Saturday, Ball State felt its strongest sense of completion in a dominating effort over IUPUI (2-8, 0-0 Horizon), 102-54. Ball State saw 10 players contribute to the scoring effort, breaking five players into double figures. The win was also Ball State's largest margin of victory this season, cementing a 48-point spread.

"I thought we played a really complete game for 40 minutes today, probably the most complete game we've played on both sides of the ball," head coach James Whitford said. "During the course of the year, we've been pretty feast or famine. We've had moments that have been really good and moments that haven't been. I watched [IUPUI] play a lot of good teams, and no one has dismantled them to the level that we did today."

The triple-digit team performance was highlighted by redshirt freshman guard Jarron Coleman, who knocked down a career-high 20 points. He was followed by junior guard Ishmael El-Amin, who picked up 18 points in the win. This is the third-straight game El-Amin has scored 18 points or more.

Along with strong performances from El-Amin and Coleman, Ball State saw some new faces lead the way. Freshman guard Luke Bumbalough picked up his second double-digit scoring game of the year with 12 points, shooting 4-of-9 from beyond the arc and leading the team in minutes with 28. Redshirt freshman guard Kani Acree tied senior forward Kyle Mallers in scoring with 11. Redshirt junior forward Brachen Hazen had a quiet eight points and a career-high six assists.

"There's a lot of differences in depth coming off the bench, as a lot of those guys don't have a lot of experience," Whitford said. "Luke had 12 points, one assist and no turnovers, but you could sense that he's still a little jittery with his decision making. It's about not letting a good play or bad play getting into your head. You could say that about all-out young guys. It was good to see everyone get out there tonight."

In addition to sharing the love across the roster, the Cardinals have also been experimental with their starting lineups this season. Saturday, redshirt seniors guard Josh Thompson and forward Tahjai Teague were switched out for Coleman and Hazen. Bumbalough also made his second-straight appearance in the starting five. The team believes there is some benefit in getting the bench experience in starting roles.

"It's about finding the right group of guys," El-Amin said. "At the end of the day, we just have to go with the roles that [Whitford] gives us and be ready to play."

In having the younger core of the team finish strong, Whitford said he is looking for that success to remain consistent. The Ball State bench outscored IUPUI's, 33-7, breaking one of those players into double figures.

"We've had moments of really, really good basketball, and we've had moments of not really good basketball at all," Whitford said. "Our job, with time, is to become more consistent in the way that we are playing. I don't think it's abnormal, but it's something that we need to get corrected for us."

Specifically, Acree's performance stood out to the team as a statement to its overall depth. In his 21 minutes of play, alongside his 11 points, Acree shot 4-of-4 from the foul line, recorded three rebounds, two assists and one of just about everything else.

"You could see it when Kani came in and provided with a spark," El-Amin said. "Ben [Hendricks] came in and showed that he could rebound. We're excited for our young guys, and they're continuing to get better each day."

Other standouts included Teague, who shined on the defensive end with a career-high six blocks and led Ball State with six rebounds. Thompson tied his season high for 3-pointers made with two in the second half.

The Jaguars were hurt by fouling, as Isaiah Williams and Marcus Burk would be forced to sit after committing five. The team finished with 23 fouls on the day. Jaylen Minnett led IUPUI with 17 points in the loss. The Jaguars narrowly fell to the Cardinals in rebounding, as Ball State held the edge, 38-35.

Heading out of this game, the Cardinals have a week off before taking on Georgia Tech Dec. 18 in Atlanta. Whitford said redshirt senior guard K.J. Walton is expected to return later this month after suffering an ankle injury against Northern Kentucky Nov. 20.

Contact Jack Williams with comments at jgwilliams@bsu.edu or on Twitter @jackgwilliams.

The Apaches came out of the gate fast, scoring nine points to the Eagles' five to begin the game. Wabash led, 12-8, with 3:00 to go in the opening frame. Delta would then go on a 13-2 run to take the lead back by the end of the first quarter. The Eagles held on to a 33-28 advantage at the half. Despite leading at the break, the first half saw its ups and downs.

"At times, we want to lunge and play for steals instead of deflections. Our team is built to play for deflections and not steals," head coach Mark Detweiler said. "We have great quickness, and we went on a stretch for about three minutes in the first half where we were reckless."

Senior guard Conner Bedwell was a big factor as to why Delta was able to pull away in the second half. Bedwell recorded 12 of his 19 points in the second half. Junior forward Brady Hunt followed suit with 18 points for the Eagles.

"We know that any given night any one of our players can go for 20," Hunt said. "Things were clicking tonight for Connor and me."

Bedwell and Hunt were able to feed off of each other's energy all night long. Delta was able to turn defense into offense in the second half, forcing the Apaches to play catch up and take deep shots. That allowed the Eagles to extend their lead to seven by the end of the third quarter.

"We started getting third- and fourth-side attacks in the second half," Bedwell said. "Going from the sixth man last year and now being the first and second option has been a surprise for teams."

Wabash would get as close as two points in the second half, but Delta had an answer for Wabash. Finding open looks came easier for the Eagles as time went on, allowing two players to find double figures.

"When our possessions get longer, and [Connor] gets the ball on the third side, he gets downhill and finishes," Detweiler said. "If we can play with that sort of poise and execution, he will get that."

This win continues Delta's unbeaten streak at home. The last time the Eagles lost on their home court was Jan. 13, 2018, to Wapahani. That is the only game Detweiler has lost at home since he took over in 2017.

"We have good players. This is a tough place to play," Detweiler said. "We want to turn it into a place where teams don't want to come here. Our guys guard. That is what makes us hard to beat at home."

Delta will have a week off before playing its third game of a four-game homestand. Next Friday, the Eagles will face Hoosier Heritage conference opponent Yorktown.

Contact Grant Covey with comments at gacovey@bsu.edu or on Twitter @grant_covey.

"I don't really feel like we started the match at all with any kind of nerves or anxiety," Miller Phillips said. "We wanted to go out and just play without fear and play with joy and confidence in who we were. That first point really gave us that additional confidence."

The Cardinals had a 1-0 lead in the first set. They actually had a 1-0 lead in every set Friday. They just didn't have the lead at the end of any of them. In its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 2011, Ball State (20-12, 11-5 MAC) fell in straight sets (25-13, 25-18, 25-10) to No. 5 Nebraska (26-4, 17-3 Big 10).

In each of the last four NCAA Tournaments, the Cornhuskers didn't lose before the semi-finals, and they won two titles in that span. Throw in the fact that Nebraska has bigger, stronger players, and Miller Phillips said Friday's outcome didn't come as too much of a surprise.

"When you draw a team like Nebraska, you know that's going to be a really tough battle," Miller Phillips said. "I think our team and staff prepared to the very best that we could and competed as hard as we could. They were just better than us. We can hang our hats that we absolutely player our heart out on a team that was a really, really good team."

Offensively, the Cardinals had 14 more attack errors, 22 fewer kills and a hitting percentage 415 points lower than the Cornhuskers.

The average height of Nebraska's outside hitters and middle blockers is 6-foot-3. Ball State's tallest player is an inch shorter. Miller Phillips said her team's inexperience of playing opponents of that size played a large part in why it wasn't able to get the offense going.

"They are a whole other level of anything we've faced in our league," Miller Phillips said. "That's not something that we're used to seeing on a nightly basis. And I thought that really made the biggest difference. I thought we took good swings. I thought we ran a good offense, but their physicality blocking at the net was just something that was tough for us to overcome."

Ball State's season came to an end Friday, and so did the careers of four Cardinal seniors. They have all played and contributed in the majority of their matches dating back to freshman year.

Friday, three of them went out with a bang. Middle blocker Sydnee VanBeek led the team with eight kills, setter Amber Seaman had a team-leading 13 assists and defensive specialist Kate Avila recorded a team-best 10 digs.

Their performance on the court is one thing, but Miller Phillips said their impact runs far deeper.

"Their stats and all that talk for themselves," Miller Phillips said. "But off the court in just their leadership, and how to be great teammates, how to work hard, how to do things the right way - they have played an enormous role, and I could not be more proud of them."

The Cardinals had nine true freshmen this year - half their roster - and six of them played quality minutes this season. With all these young players learning from the four at the top, Miller Phillips said the seniors have paved the way for the future of the program.

"I think the future's really bright. We talked about that in the locker room tonight," Miller Phillips said. "Now we've got a taste of this and what it's like to earn a bid into the NCAA Tournament. I think that's just the beginning."

Contact Zach Piatt with comments at zapiatt@bsu.edu or on Twitter @zachpiatt13.

The burglary occurred Dec. 3, after an individual and his roommate climbed through a window of the house and stole the aforementioned items, the MPD report states.

The victims of the burglary had a security camera that recorded the incident, it states. They shared photographs from the footage and received tips leading them to the two suspects.

One individual in the burglary incident was arrested Thursday and released Friday. His roommate returned the stolen items and they apologized to the victims.

In preparation for the semester break, Ball State's Department of Public Safety sent out a campus-wide email Friday offering tips to prevent burglaries. These tips include:

• Make sure to lock all doors and windows.
• Use an alarm system if you have one.
• Do not leave keys in hiding places.
• Be cautious with whom you are sharing personal and travel information, including on social media sites.
• If possible take your valuables with you during the break. If that's not possible, make sure the items are secured and not left in plain sight.
• Never leave cash in your residence.
• Inventory and secure electronic equipment and when possible, photograph valuables and record serial numbers. Place this information in a secure location.
• Hold newspaper and mail deliveries when away from a residence for an extended period of time.
• Place lighting and other electronic devices (TVs, radios) on timers to give the appearance that someone is home.
• If you see something, say something!

Hudson French, freshman telecommunications major who plays first base for the National Club Baseball Association at Ball State, said he does his best to pay attention to what he eats.

"It's hard sometimes," French said. "It's easy to stay in my room. It's easy to do classwork for hours. It's easy to get on a game for an hour just to escape a little bit, but I want to push myself to be more proactive in watching what I eat."

To address similar concerns people in the Ball State community might have, Christy Tunnel, assistant clinical lecturer for nutrition and dietetics, shared tips for people to stay healthy during the holidays in a press release.

She first suggested to make sure holiday plates are filled with a majority of greens, vegetables and fruits while still leaving some room for indulgence.

"The holidays bring lots of gatherings and are often filled with high-sugar and high-fat foods," Tunnel said. "The key is to fill your plate with enough healthy options to feel full yet still leave room for smaller servings of some decadent foods."

When it comes to holiday snacks, she recommends consuming snacks that are healthy and homemade - listing vegetables, peanuts and dark chocolate as good alternatives.

"Feeling energized during the holidays is just as much about getting the right nutrients into your body as it is about keeping extra calories at bay," Tunnel said.

In addition to tracking food and beverage intake and maintaining a fitness routine, she also recommends avoiding skipping or saving meals for later.

Skipping meals, Tunnel said, leads to binge eating because people often satisfy their hunger with sugars and fats. Instead, she recommends making regular meals close to a quarter smaller than normal to avoid cravings and leave room for more food later.

"If you're eating on campus in one of the food courts, find a meal that you know is relatively healthy, and make that your go-to for when you're stressed for time," Tunnel said.

French said he doesn't skip meals often, normally only skipping them before games, but now that he's away from home at college, he's more likely to skip regular meals to "savor the home-cooking more," especially during the winter holidays.

Not everything he avoids is strictly because he wants to maintain shape, however. French said health problems in his family restrict his diet as well.

"It is a combination of things - high blood pressure and stuff like that. Bread [and] carbs kind of run things up a little bit," he said. "Recently, I've been trying to watch it more and understand how it works in the family."

French said he has heard advice similar to Tunnel's in the past and is willing to apply the tips.

"It sounds like everything I've been told as a child," he said. "It's definitely something I'd be down to try … because I feel that ultimately, it might just make me feel better."

Contact Jaden Hasse with comments at jdhasse@bsu.edu or on Twitter @HasseJaden.

The City of Muncie has also seen changes in leadership as well as a new relationship with the university through Ball State's partnership with Muncie Community Schools.

With the 2020s soon approaching, Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns reflected on the successes of the university in the past decade, things to improve on and the roadmap for the future.

However, his team wasn't always the most competitive in key moments.

"Our team was subpar," Adkisson said. "After regionals, we didn't make it very far. It was a fun team -we worked very hard but didn't get many results."

While Adkisson and his teammates were not always able to achieve their desired goals, Adkisson credited his local training programs in helping him succeed on the court and in coming to Ball State.

"We had a really good system in Illinois," Adkisson said. "I played a lot of good teams and a lot of good players on different teams, so I learned about different players and how to adjust around them."

Although the Cardinals do not have any players from Indiana on their roster, nine of the team's 20 players are from Illinois. According to a study by the National Federation of State High School Associations, Illinois had 7,341 participants in high school boys' volleyball during the 2018-19 school year -second in America behind California.

Head coach Joel Walton said he believes Illinois has the deepest talent pool of boys' high school volleyball players in the country.

"We are fortunate to be close to Illinois," Walton said. "The clubs that were primarily developed for girls way back in the day have now opened up their doors, and they're including boys into their business model. The guys are having great opportunities to play for their high school teams, and they're gaining valuable experience."

Of the team's four freshmen, three of them are from Illinois: Adkisson, setter David Flores (Lincoln-Way West) and middle attacker Will McPhillips (Lincoln-Way East). All three attended high school within a 50-mile radius from Chicago.

McPhillips and Flores were recruited by the Cardinals in November 2018 and April 2019, respectively. Adkisson, on the other hand, is a recent addition to the team after successfully earning a libero position through a walk-on tryout this fall.

"Sammy's doing a very good job," Walton said. "From what I've heard from the guys, he's earned a lot of respect already. He's been working hard and improving -he has a great attitude, and we're pleased with his progress."

Junior setter Quinn Isaacson, who attended Plainfield North High School in Plainfield, Illinois, said both his high school and club experience greatly prepared him for Ball State.

In his junior year of high school, Isaacson played alongside another eventual Midwest Intercollegiate Volleyball Association standout in Kyle Piekarski, who is now a senior middle blocker for Loyola-Chicago.

"Playing at Plainfield North was awesome," Isaacson said. "I got to play with a lot of really good talent throughout those years. Add onto that with my club experience and some of my best friends I've ever played with."

Isaacson said playing consistently throughout his club and high school years significantly developed his leadership skills in addition to having parents with coaching experience.

"I've been a leader kind of my whole life with some of the teams I've played with," Isaacson said. "Through club, I played with the same team for five years. It's something that's come naturally to me."

The Cardinals' nine players from Illinois are rounded out by junior libero Colin Ensalaco (Sandburg), senior outside attacker Blake Reardon (Joliet Catholic), senior middle attacker Nate Amos (Lake Zurich), sophomore middle attacker Felix Egharevba (Naperville Central) and sophomore outside attacker Nick Martinski (Elk Grove).

Contact Connor Smith with comments at cnsmith@bsu.edu or on Twitter @cnsmithbsu.