Dec. 19, 2000

Box Score

MUNCIE, Ind. - Ball State (6-3) used a massive advantage at the free throw line to easily defeat Cleveland State (5-4), 95-76, in women's basketball action tonight. The Cardinals finished 25-for-32 from the charity stripe in the game, while the Vikings were just 4-for-5.

Ball State led by 12 late in the first half, but a 13-4 Cleveland State run spanning the final 1:30 of the opening stanza and the first three minutes of the second half trimmed the Cardinals' margin to just three. However, BSU responded with a 12-2 spurt of its own to reopen a comfortable margin.

Sophomore guard Erika Roudebush (Noblesville, Ind./Hamilton Southeastern) paced the Vikings with 15 points on a 6-for-11 effort from the floor. Senior guard Mahogany Green (Toledo, Ohio/Bowsher) added 13 points, five rebounds and six assists, while junior center Kim Brockway (Marine City, Mich./Marine City) tallied six points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Sophomore forward Tamara Bowie led six Cardinals in double-figures with a game-high 20 points and seven rebounds. Junior guard Shala Crook posted 16 points and 11 assists, while freshman center Jessica Reiter notched 11 points and 10 rebounds.

BSU out-shot CSU, .463-.385, from the floor and forced 23 turnovers. The Vikings held a slim, 44-43, margin on the boards.

"Last year [in CSU's win over Ball State] we made shots early and got up big - this year they returned the favor," noted Viking head coach Duffy Burns, who is a 1985 graduate of Ball State. "We got open looks, but we just didn't shoot very well."

Cleveland State is in action again on Thursday, Dec. 21 when it travels to Toledo to face the Rockets at 7:00 p.m.