Ball State women’s basketball’s quest to return to the NCAA Tournament begins today.
Ball State (25-6, 16-2 MAC) will begin its Mid-American Conference Tournament run on Wednesday, March 11, at Rocket Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cardinals split the MAC regular season title with Miami (Ohio) and enter the conference tournament as the No. 2 seed.
Ball State will take on No. 7 seed Bowling Green in the quarterfinals at approximately 4 p.m. ET, though the time may change depending on how long the first two games take. Ball State is seeking to repeat as MAC champions after sweeping both the MAC regular season and tournament titles last season.
Follow along here for live updates as Ball State women’s basketball takes on Bowling Green in the first round of the MAC Women’s Basketball Tournament!
Ball State vs Bowling Green MAC women’s basketball tournament score, updates
End 3rd: Ball State 53, Bowling Green 43
Both teams struggled offensively in the third quarter. Ball State shot 4-for-13 from the field and scored just 11 points, while Bowling Green went 5-for-15 and fought back to within 10 points with 15 for the quarter. The Cardinals turned the ball over seven times in the quarter and have 16 turnovers for the game. Grace Kingery still leads Ball State with 15 points.
Ball State 48, Bowling Green 38, 3:57 3rd quarter
Bowling Green opened the second half on a 10-6 run. The Falcons finally knocked down a 3-pointer after an 0-for-10 start when Jasmine Fearne knocked one down with 4:19 left in the third quarter. Ball State is 2-for-9 from the field so far in the second half.
Halftime: Ball State 42, Bowling Green 28
Ball State leads Bowling Green by 14 after the first half of play. Grace Kingery leads the Cardinals with 10 points followed by Bree Salenbien with nine and Aniss Tagayi with eight. Ball State is shooting 45.9% from the field and 45.5% from long range. Meanwhile, Bowling Green is shooting just 32.5% from the field and is 0-for-7 from beyond the arc.
Ball State 36, Bowling Green 21, 3:48 2nd quarter
Ball State has pulled ahead in the second quarter with a 17-6 run. The Cardinals have been much more efficient in this quarter, going 6-for-11 from the field so far.
End 1st: Ball State 19, Bowling Green 15
Ball State leads by four after the first quarter. Grace Kingery leads the Cardinals with six points (2-for-3 from 3-point range), while Tessa Towers and Aniss Tagayi have four apiece. Ball State has assisted on six of its eight made field goals. Kaia Woods leads Bowling Green with four points. The Falcons have scored 10 of their 15 points in the paint.
Bowling Green 10, Ball State 9, 4:36 1st quarter
Ball State trails Bowling Green, 10-9, at the first media timeout. The Cardinals are off to a slow start, shooting 4-for-13 from the field and 1-for-5 from 3-point range. Bowling Green has been much more efficient, starting 5-for-10 from the field.
Ball State women’s basketball tips off in Cleveland
Ball State vs. Bowling Green officially tipped off at 4:28 p.m. ET. The Cardinals turned it over on their opening possession.
How to watch 2026 MAC basketball tournament
For the men’s tournament, all four first-round games are on ESPN+. The streaming platform is available through most major cable or streaming services; just use your login on that account to gain access to ESPN+. The men’s semifinal games then air on CBS Sports Network Friday, with the championship game to air on ESPN2.
Watch MAC basketball tournament
For the women, both the quarterfinals and semifinals will stream exclusively on ESPN+. The championship game Saturday morning will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
Contact Cade Hampton via email at cbhampton@usatodayco.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @CadeHamp10.
This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State women’s basketball vs Bowling Green MAC Tournament live updates
Reporting by Cade Hampton, Muncie Star Press / Muncie Star Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
