MEMPHIS, Tenn. (Interstat) — The Ball State women’s basketball team remained undefeated Saturday, using a dominant first-half performance to secure an 83-59 road victory over Memphis at FedExForum.

The Cardinals (4-0) exploded for 28 points in the opening quarter and never looked back, building a commanding 44-22 lead by halftime. The Tigers (2-2), despite a late surge in the fourth quarter, could not overcome the early deficit in front of an announced crowd of 741.

Grace Kingery led all scorers for Ball State, pouring in 22 points. The 5-foot-11 guard from North Ridgeville, Ohio, was efficient from beyond the arc, connecting on multiple three-pointers in her 25 minutes of action. She was supported by a balanced offensive attack that saw Karsyn Norman contribute 14 points and five assists, while Aniss Tagayi added 12 points and six rebounds.

Ball State’s control of the game was established early through stifling defense and superior rebounding. The Cardinals held Memphis to just 22 points in the first half and outrebounded them significantly, with Tessa Towers and Bree Salenbien each pulling down 11 boards. Towers also recorded a double-double, adding 11 points to go along with her rebounding total.

Memphis struggled offensively for the majority of the contest, shooting just 23 of 74 from the floor and 5 of 19 from three-point range. A bright spot for the Tigers was the play of Chaé Harris, who came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points, with 14 of those coming in the second half. Cori Allen, a native of Nashville, Tennessee, added 14 points and six rebounds for Memphis.

The Tigers showed signs of life in the final period, outscoring Ball State 27-15 behind Harris’s scoring burst. However, the Cardinals’ lead, which had grown to as many as 30 points, proved insurmountable. Ball State’s offensive execution was more consistent, as they assisted on nine of their 29 made field goals and capitalized on second-chance opportunities with 14 offensive rebounds.

The loss snaps a two-game winning streak for Memphis, which had previously secured road wins at South Alabama and Arkansas-Little Rock. Ball State continues its strong start to the season, having also recorded wins over Northern Kentucky, IU Indy, and Arkansas State.

Ball State is scheduled to host Cincinnati on Thursday. Memphis will return to action at home against Mississippi on Tuesday.