MUNCIE, Ind. — With just 10 seconds left in the game, WKU women's basketball player Jaylin Foster made a layup to cut Friday night's game in Muncie, Indiana to four. Fouling on the next possession, WKU sent Ball State to the line and the Cardinal made both free throws to end the game 82-76.
That sequence seemed improbable after the first quarter between the two teams that featured just six points from the Lady Toppers in the period. At the 2:38 mark of the second quarter, Ball State took its largest lead of the game, going ahead 39-19. WKU locked down and went on an 8-0 run from that moment to cut it to 12 at the half. From that 20-point deficit, WKU would outscore Ball State 57-43 through the remainder of the game.
"I'm proud by how hard they continue to fight," said head coach Greg Collins. "This will be a learning process for us. We talked about playing as hard as we did in the second, third and fourth quarter in the first quarter. We have to be a little bit better…The turnovers bit us again. Twenty-seven turnovers but it was a six-point ballgame."
Fourteen of WKU's 27 total turnovers happened in that 17:22 stretch of the first and second quarters that allowed Ball State to go ahead by 20. The Lady Toppers did not hit a three during that stretch but followed by making 11 through the rest of the game, which is a season high.
Jaylin Foster was WKU's leading scorer for the second time this season with 18 points that including going 8-of-9 from the free throw line. Macey Blevins shook off a shooting slump to connect on four 3-pointers for a career high 17 points and pulled down a season high eight rebounds. Hope Sivori matched her points total (17) and 3-pointers made (4) to go along with four rebounds.
WKU outrebounded Ball State, 44-32, which was the Lady Toppers' largest rebounding margin of the season and a season high in total rebounds. Those rebounds led to 24 second chance points for WKU.
The Lady Toppers came out flat to start the game, getting just nine field goal attempts in the first quarter. Ball State took a 23-6 lead after the first 10 minutes. After the 8-0 run by WKU to cut the game to 12 in the second quarter, the two teams were dead even in the third, both scoring 20 points in the frame. Overall, WKU outscored Ball State 29-23 in the fourth quarter.
WKU and Ball State have now played 11 times in the series history. Of those 11 matchups, eight have been decided by less than 10 points.
The Lady Toppers will be back in action on Sunday, Dec. 11 against Little Rock in Diddle Arena at 6:30 p.m.
How to Follow the Lady Toppers: For complete information on Lady Topper Hoops, visit WKUSports.com or follow the program via social media @LadyTopperHoops on Twitter, @LadyTopperHoops on Instagram and on Facebook at facebook.com/WKUWomensBasketball.
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