And they did it in dominant fashion.
Ilse de Vries scored a career-high 23 points and Miami delivered a stellar second-half performance to defeat Ball State 72-52, earning its first win in Muncie since Dec. 3, 1998.
The victory not only snapped a 27-year drought at Ball State, but also kept Miami unbeaten in Mid-American Conference play.
The RedHawks (16-4, 8-0 MAC) used a decisive 27-9 third quarter to pull away from the Cardinals, who entered the game leading the MAC in scoring at 78.4 points per game. Ball State was held to a season-low 52 points and dropped to 15-5 overall and 7-1 in conference play.
“This was a great win,” Miami coach Glenn Box said. “A great win. We did it with outstanding effort defensively. Offensively, we made our shots, but that third quarter — I don’t even remember it. Our kids just executed.”
De Vries led four RedHawks in double figures, connecting on a career-best five 3-pointers while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. Amber Tretter finished with 18 points, Amber Scalia scored 16, and Tamar Singer added 11 points and eight assists.
Miami forced 13 turnovers, knocked down nine 3-pointers and scored 42 points in the paint.
“Defensively, we got into the passing lanes and created steals,” Box said. “They defended like they’re capable of defending. Ball State’s a heck of a program — great players, great coach — and we were fortunate to walk out of here with a win.”
Ball State opened the game on a 5-0 run, but Scalia answered with five straight points to tie it. Tretter’s 3-pointer gave Miami its first lead, and Scalia’s buzzer-beating trey pushed the RedHawks ahead 18-13 after the first quarter.
Singer knocked down a long 3 early in the second quarter, and de Vries later split two defenders for a layup to give Miami a 27-16 edge. The Cardinals answered with a 14-4 run to cut the margin to one, but de Vries buried a 3 at the horn to send Miami into halftime up 34-30.
The second half belonged to the RedHawks.
De Vries opened the third quarter with another triple, and after Ball State pulled within four, Tretter’s step-back 3 sparked a decisive run. Miami scored on four straight possessions to stretch the lead to 57-37 and carried a 61-39 advantage into the fourth.
Miami led by as many as 25 points in the final period and never allowed Ball State to get closer than 20.
The win kept Miami alone atop the MAC standings and marked a milestone moment for a program that had not won in Muncie in nearly three decades.
“Our kids were ready,” Box said. “They were prepared, they handled everything that was thrown at them, and they played the right way.”
Miami returns to action Wednesday, Jan. 28, with a noon tipoff at Northern Illinois.
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