Ball State women's basketball (16-7,9-2) continues to be hot on the road, defeating Miami (7-16,2-9) by a score of 81-60.
The Cardinals were once again led by sophomore guard Destiny Washington with 21 points and six rebounds. After early foul trouble, senior center Renee Bennett added 18 points, scoring 16 of them in the second half. Freshman guard and Washington's former high school teammate Lauren Dickerson led the RedHawks with 21 points.
Starting the game slow, the Cardinals' win was jumpstarted by a 17-5 run, taking a 24-7 lead after one quarter. In the second quarter, the Cardinals continued to put the pressure on Miami and built an 18-point lead. But the RedHawks still hung around, slicing the 18-point deficit down to nine going into half (39-30).
Bennett began to take over for the Cardinals in quarter number three, scoring 10 of Ball State's 17 points. Still, Miami kept within distance. They were only down by eight heading into the fourth quarter (56-48).
The Cardinals took advantage of the RedHawks' early foul trouble in the fourth quarter and reached the bonus by the 5:07 mark in the game. The Cardinals went 24-28 from the free throw line for the game. Miami could hang on no longer, and the Cardinals were able to pull away for good.
Ball State leaders
Destiny Washington: 21 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist
Renee Bennett: 18 points, 6 rebounds, 0 assists
Moriah Monaco: 17 points, 7 rebounds, 4 assists
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