Momentum can change swiftly and suddenly, even when it’s all on one side.

Such was the case for the NIU women’s basketball team in its loss to Ball State on Saturday night.

“They had a momentum swing, and we didn’t make the shots we wanted to in the end,” said NIU head coach Carol Owens.

NIU opened the first seven minutes of the last half on a 19-5 run, giving the Huskies a 55-43 advantage. Momentum, however, swiftly headed back in the favor of Ball State, and the Cardinals never looked back.

BSU responded with a 20-5 run of its own over the next five minutes of the game, holding a 63-60 lead with 8:21 to go.

“The key to the game was going to be who could respond to the runs and the challenges,” said BSU acting head coach Lisa McDonald. “We challenged the team before the game with how they would respond.”

The Huskies responded as best they could. Guard Kylie York hit her third three-pointer of the second half with 7:11 remaining to tie the game at 63.

NIU trailed by six points with 1:32 left in the game. And just when it appeared the big “MO” was about to strike again, it didn’t.

With 50 seconds left, a jumper by BSU guard Julie DeMuth sealed the deal for the Cardinals.

“We took a lead, they came back, and that’s when the momentum changed,” Owens said. “We just came up a little short.”

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