MUNCIE, Ind. (Interstat) — The Ball State Cardinals turned a dominant first quarter into a wire-to-wire rout, overwhelming the Buffalo Bulls 103-61 in a Mid-American Conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at Worthen Arena.

From the opening tip, the Cardinals established control, sprinting to a 24-14 lead after the first quarter and never looking back. The offensive efficiency was staggering, as Ball State shot 55.6% from the field and capitalized on a staggering 21 Buffalo turnovers, converting them into a decisive advantage in transition and second-chance opportunities.

The game’s most pivotal stretch came early in the second quarter, effectively extinguishing any hope of a Buffalo rally. Leading 24-14, Ball State opened the period with a devastating 9-0 run in just over 90 seconds. The burst was fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Ashlynn Brooke, the second assisted by Karsyn Norman, followed immediately by another Norman three-pointer off an assist from Bree Salenbien. That sequence ballooned the lead to 33-14 and forced a Buffalo timeout, but the damage was irreversible. The Cardinals’ lead would not dip below 19 points for the remainder of the contest.

Ball State’s offensive execution was a model of balance and ball movement. Five players scored in double figures, led by Tessa Towers’ efficient 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Grace Kingery and Bree Salenbien each added 14 points, while Aniss Tagayi filled the stat sheet with 13 points, four assists and three steals. The Cardinals’ ball movement was crisp, resulting in 24 assists on 35 made field goals, with Norman orchestrating the offense with a game-high eight assists.

Defensively, Ball State was equally impressive, hounding Buffalo into a season-worst offensive performance. The Bulls managed only 23 field goals on 58 attempts, a 39.7% clip, and were plagued by ball-handling issues from the start. Buffalo committed 12 of its 21 turnovers in the first half, allowing Ball State to build an insurmountable 44-23 halftime lead.

Buffalo’s primary offensive threat was Aniya Rowe, who scored a game-high 24 points. However, her effort was undercut by nine turnovers against just one assist. Janyah Bohanon provided support with nine points off the bench. The Bulls struggled mightily at the free-throw line, converting only 9 of 19 attempts, which further hampered any attempt to slow the Cardinals’ momentum.

Ball State continued to pour it on after halftime, outscoring Buffalo 27-21 in the third quarter and exploding for 32 points in the fourth. The Cardinals’ depth was on full display as 10 different players scored, and they dominated the glass with 11 offensive rebounds leading to 19 second-chance points.

The victory improved Ball State’s record to 13-4 overall and 3-1 in MAC play, solidifying its position near the top of the conference standings. The Cardinals have now won three consecutive conference games by an average margin of 31 points.

Buffalo, meanwhile, fell to 2-14 overall and 0-4 in the MAC. The loss extended the Bulls’ losing streak to five games, during which they have been defeated by an average of 24.2 points per contest.

The teams are scheduled to meet again in Buffalo on Feb. 18. Ball State will look to continue its winning ways on the road at Western Michigan on Saturday. Buffalo returns home to face Massachusetts, also on Saturday, still in search of its first conference victory.