Feb. 14, 2009
Final Stats
MUNCIE, Ind. - The Ohio University women's basketball team placed four players in double figures, but Ball State hit 11 3-pointers en route to defeating the Bobcats 80-72 Saturday afternoon at Worthen Arena. Ohio falls to 8-15 overall and 4-7 in the Mid-American Conference, while the West division-leading Cardinals improved to 17-8 and 9-2 in the MAC.
The 'Cats shot 43.3 percent from the floor, but hit just 4-of-14 tries from deep, while Ball State managed a 45.9 percent clip for the game, but knocked down 44.0 percent of its 25 3-point attempts. Ohio outscored the Cardinals 44-24 in the paint, but couldn't overcome BSU's hot shooting from behind the arc.
"The story of the game was Ball State's 11 3-pointers," Ohio head coach Semeka Randall said. "The first half we gave them a few uncontested 3-pointers. Those were big shots that really hurt us. Everything else down the line was pretty much even."
The Green & White committed a season-low 10 turnovers, with just one in the second half, while dishing out 19 assists on 29 field goals, the second-most assists this year. Ball State did hold a 39-37 rebounding edge however, as Ohio was out-rebounded for just the seventh time this season, and had all five starters reach double figures in scoring, led by Danielle Gratton's 19, while Porchia Green had a double-double with 13 points and 10 caroms.
"Ball State is a solid team," Randall said. "Their starters are sound players. I thought this was our best effort of the year taking care of the ball. Overall, it was a strong effort in a number of areas."
Sophomore forward Kamille Buckner (Chicago, Ill.) scored 16 points on a perfect 8-of-8 shooting day, tying Ohio's single-game field goal percentage record and becoming just the third Bobcat with at least eight attempts in a game to make every shot. She also tied her career high with three assists and swatted two shots, giving her 46 on the year, which ties her with Amy Turner for the program's single-season record. Buckner added five boards and steal to her line, as well.
Senior forward Lauren Hmiel (York, Pa.) paced the Bobcats with a game-high 20 points, 17 coming in the final 20 minutes, for her fourth 20-point performance of the season. She also had five rebounds, three assists and steal, while going 8-of-9 from the charity stripe.
Sophomore guard Carolyn Barnett (North Chicago, Ill.) chipped in a career-high 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting, including her first triple as a Bobcat, in just 18 minutes of action, a career high. Junior guard Jennifer Bushby (Gahanna, Ohio) was Ohio's fourth double-figure scorer with 10, while handing out a game-high seven assists and grabbing six rebounds.
Freshman guard Da'Keisha Mann (Columbus, Ohio) collected a career-high seven rebounds, five in the first frame, while freshman guard Tracy Snider (Lancaster, Ohio) nailed her first-career 3-pointer, while playing a career-high tying 14 minutes.
Bushby opened the contest with a triple, Ohio's lone trifecta of the half, but the 'Cats fell behind 17-7 six minutes in, as Audrey McDonald answered Bushby with back-to-back 3-pointers a minute later. Buckner sparked an 8-2 Ohio spurt with a pair of her five first-half baskets to cut the deficit to four, but the Cardinals responded once more with a 15-4 run to take control of the opening period at 34-19 and went into the locker room leading 44-29.
Ohio made 44.5 percent of its shots in the first 20 minutes, but Ball State hit at a 48.4 percent clip, with eight of its 16 field goals coming from behind the arc, while shooting 47.7 percent from deep. The Cardinals also held a 20-16 edge in rebounds and held a 10-4 edge in points off turnovers, as the Bobcats committed nine, while BSU had just six in the first half.
Buckner was 5-for-5 from the floor in the first frame for 10 points, while McDonald led the Cardinals with 12 points on four 3-pointers and four assists at the break.
Ohio chipped away at the deficit in the second half, closing to within 10 on Barnett's 3-pointer with 18:29 remaining and again on a pair of free throws from Hmiel at the 12:17 mark. A Bushby trifecta put Ohio as close as six at 60-54 with 8:32 on the clock, but Ball State responded with back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Cardinals a 12-point cushion and end any hopes of a Bobcat comeback, closing out the 80-72 decision.
Ohio's 43 points in the final 20 minutes tied a second-half season high.
"The second half we came out and played really inspired," Randall said. "Our intensity was great. Our bench, especially the freshmen, came in and did a great job. Hopefully we can carry that kind of intensity over into next week."
Ohio will take a break from MAC play to host independent Utah Valley Tuesday, Feb. 17 in its next contest, which starts a four-game homestand, the Bobcats' final home games of the season. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. in The Convo.
