KALAMAZOO —
Coach Tasha McDowell hopes her Western Michigan University women’s basketball team finds some “consistency and execution on offense.”
That was lacking on Saturday when the Broncos lost to Ball State, 78-62, in a Mid-American Conference game on “Pack the House Pink” day to raise awareness of breast cancer.
WMU drew a season-high crowd of 1,837.
Ball State (11-15, 5-8 MAC) started the game with an eight-point run before sophomore forward Miame Giden, coming off the bench for the first time this season, grabbed an offensive rebound, then put up her team’s first two points.
Fouls hurt the Broncos (7-19, 2-11) in the first half — they shot just 40 percent (2-for-5) from the charity stripe while Ball State netted 75 percent (9-for-12).
Numbers changed in the second half, where Western made 13 of 14 for 92.9 percent to Ball State’s 7-for-10 (70 percent).
”We’re normally a really intense team on defense, just getting fouls, it happens,” Giden said.
McDowell said free throws were a small part of it.
“We recognize the fact that they shot more free throws than us; that gave them more points, but I think we missed a lot of open shots,” she said. “I think we gave them a lot of open looks. I don’t think it boils down to free throws there ... but again, I don’t think that we played our best basketball, either.”
Ball State used its height (five players 6-foot-1 or taller) inside to deny the Broncos many second looks.
“I would say that Ball State played a good game,” McDowell said. “I think what they utilized was their inside play.
“Combined, their big people had a total of 35 points and 22 rebounds. We have been playing big post players our entire season. I think, normally, we do a pretty good job.”
Four Broncos hit double figures, including Giden with 18 points. Kemmy Dominique netted 12 while Molly Dwyer and Sara Vest had 10 each.
“We went on a little run in the second half right before a timeout (pulling to 47-38),” Dwyer said. “I was fired up, I was optimistic and things just didn’t go our way. Those runs are going to happen and we could use a couple more.”
Junior Emily Maggert (6-1) led the Cardinals with a double-double (18 points, 13 rebounds), Audrey McDonald scored 14 and 6-3 sophomore Amber Crago had 12.