GAME DETAILS
Ball State 79, Saint Louis 70
Monday, December 28, 2015 | 7 p.m. (ET)
Worthen Arena | Muncie, Indiana
THE BASICS
--Jackie Kemph scored a team-high 21 points and collected a game-high eight assists, but Ball State held on for a 79-70 victory over Saint Louis Monday night at Worthen Arena.
--Saint Louis fell to 9-3, while Ball State of the Mid-American Conference improved to 8-3.
HOW IT HAPPENED
--Jackie Kemph scored seven points and Jamesia Price tallied six to stake Saint Louis to a 15-14 lead after one quarter.
--Ball State edged in front early in the second quarter, but SLU responded with points on five straight possessions to grab a 30-26 advantage.
--The Cardinals answered with a 12-3 spurt and took a 38-33 halftime lead.
--After Ball State expanded the margin to nine points, a 10-3 Saint Louis run narrowed the Bills' deficit to 49-47.
--The teams traded 5-0 mini runs, and a late 3-pointer put Ball State on top 57-52 with one period to play.
--Although the Cardinals went up by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, the Billikens hung around and trailed 75-70 with 33 seconds remaining. Ball State, however, held on for the win.
BILLIKEN NOTABLES
--The Billikens committed a season-low seven turnovers.
--Jamesia Price tied her season high with three steals and, in the process, moved into fourth place on the Saint Louis career list with 155 thefts.
--Price also had three assists, giving her 346 helpers for her career and moving her into fifth place on the Billikens' all-time chart.
--Jackie Kemph scored 20 or more points for a third time this season and fourth time in her career. She tied a career high with three 3-pointers (3-of-6).
--Kemph led all players with eight assists (no turnovers), the sixth time this season she has recorded seven or more assists. She is averaging 7.3 helpers in her last four games.
--Aaliyah Covington (5-of-10 FG, career-high two 3-pointers) scored a career-high 12 points.
--Sadie Stipanovich (5-of-8 FG) tallied 12 points and a team-high nine rebounds (game-high four offensive).
--Denisha Womack tossed in 12 points for a second consecutive game, and she tied her season high with three assists.
BALL STATE LEADERS
--Nathalie Fontaine, 24 points, 15 rebounds; Jill Morrison, 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists; Moriah Monaco, 19 points, six rebounds; Carmen Grande, 10 points; Shelby Merder, seven rebounds.
UP NEXT
--The Billikens play their final nonconference game of the season Wednesday, Dec. 30, as they host Bradley at Chaifetz Arena. Tip time is 7 p.m.
