Ball State kicks Iowa out of WNIT

IOWA CITY — There will be no extended postseason stay. The Iowa Hawkeyes are one-and-done in the WNIT.

Nathalie Fontaine registered 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Ball State tripped the Hawkeyes, 77-72, in a WNIT first-rounder in front of 2,039 Thursday night at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Cardinals (22-9) led the whole way, building a 16-point advantage in the third quarter, then holding on.

'I don't think we respected Ball State enough,' Iowa Coach Lisa Bluder said. 'I'm not sure we mentally knew how good Ball State really was.'

The Hawkeyes retired at 19-14, just their second season with less than 20 wins in the last nine years.

'I'm extremely disappointed,' junior Ally Disterhoft said. 'We have talent, but didn't show it tonight. It's very, very disappointing.'

Ball State (22-9) will face Saint Louis in the second round. SLU (25-7) edged Arkansas-Little Rock, 70-69, Thursday.

'You have to give (Ball State) credit,' Bluder said. 'They found an emotion, a passion for the game tonight.'

The Cardinals used a 22-12 second-quarter advantage for a 40-28 halftime lead, then scored the first two baskets of the second half to widen the margin to 16.

'The second quarter, it just got away from us,' Bluder said. 'We had too many turnovers and they outrebounded us.'

Four times in the fourth quarter, the Hawkeyes closed within two. Each time, the Cardinals stemmed the tide.

Chase Coley's bucket brought Iowa within 64-62, but the Hawkeyes came up empty on their next five possessions as the Cardinals rebuilt the lead to seven.

Iowa got within 69-67 (on Tania Davis' two free throws at 1:44) and 72-70 (on Disterhoft's 3-pointer with 56 seconds left), and had a chance to tie, but Whitney Jennings missed a 12-footer with 15 sseconds left, and the Cardinals made five of six free throws in the final 11 seconds.

A senior from Stockholm, Sweden, Fontaine made 10 of 24 shots.

'She's a great player,' Bluder said. 'She didn't want her senior year to close.'

Carmen Grande and Moriah Monaco added 16 points apiece for the victors.

Freshman Megan Gustafson registered her ninth double-double of the season with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Disterhoft posted 19 points, seven boards and six assists. Jennings added 13 points, Davis 12.

The defeat closed the book on the careers of Iowa seniors Kali Peschel, Claire Till and Nicole Smith.

BALL STATE 77, IOWA 72 (WNIT First Round)

At Iowa City

BALL STATE (72): Moriah Monaco 5-10 2-3 16, Renee Bennett 3-8 3-5 9, Carmen Grande 5-8 5-6 16, Nathalie Fontaine 10-24 4-6 24, Calyn Hosea 0-1 0-0 0, Brionna Simond 1-1 0-0 2, Jill Morrison 0-4 0-0 0, Lucia Fernandez 0-1 0-0 0, Frannie Frazier 3-5 0-0 6, Shelby Merder 0-1 4-4 4. Totals 27-63 18-24 72.

IOWA (77): Megan Gustafson 9-15 4-6 22, Alexa Kastanek 0-3 0-0 0, Ally Disterhoft 5-10 6-7 19, Tania Davis 4-9 3-4 12, Whitney Jennings 5-13 0-2 13, Chase Coley 3-9 0-0 6, Christina Buttenham 0-1 0-0 0, Kali Peschel 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-61 13-19 72.

Halftime: Ball State 40, Iowa 28. 3-point goals: Ball State 5-12 (Monaco 4-7, Grande 1-1, Morrison 0-4), Iowa 7-18 (Kastanek 0-3, Disterhoft 3-5, Davis 1-3, Jennings 3-5, Coley 0-1, Peschel 0-1). Team fouls: Ball State 22, Iowa 17. Fouled out: Hosea, Frazier. Rebounds: Ball State 41 (Fontaine 11), Iowa 39 (Gustafson 12). Assists: Ball State 7 (Morrison 3), Iowa 15 (Disterhoft 6). Steals: Ball State 4 (Monaco 2), Iowa 5 (Davis 2). Turnovers: Ball State 10, Iowa 12.

Attendance: 2,039.

l Comments: (319) 368-8857; jeff.linder@thegazette.com