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MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Shoni Schimmel had 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists, and Sara Hammond scored 11 of her 13 points in the first five minutes as No. 7 Louisville overwhelmed Ball State 105-67 Tuesday night.
The Cardinals (11-1) have won four straight and tied the school's single-season record for games with 90 or more points. Louisville already has done that eight times this season, matching its 1990-91 total. It also has topped 100 points four times.
Jill Morrison had 17 points and Nathalie Fontaine finished with 14 to lead Ball State (3-6), which has lost two straight. Ball State was trying to upset its first ranked opponent since a stunning win over Tennessee in the 2009 NCAA tournament.
Louisville opened the game on a 22-2 run, extended the lead to 60-29 at halftime and never allowed Ball State to get closer than 29 in the second half.
The Cardinals continually took advantage of their advantage in size, speed, strength and depth in a first half that will be remembered primarily for Louisville's incredible efficiency. It shot 67.6 percent from the field and still had a 7-6 edge in offensive rebounds. The Cardinals also made 5 of 11 3-pointers and finished with their highest point total in any half this season.
Ball State, meanwhile, needed more than 6 1/2 minutes to make its first basket and had 14 turnovers.
Predictably, Louisville outscored Ball State 32-12 in the paint, 16-0 on fast-break points and 25-2 off the bench in the first 20 minutes.
It was that kind of lopsided night.
Louisville scored the first nine points, and Hammond's early scoring spree accounted for half of the points in the Cardinals' opening flurry.
But the Cardinals weren't close to being done.
Monny Niamke's three-point play midway through the first half extended the margin to 32-6, and Louisville led by as many as 33 points before Ball State cut the halftime deficit to 60-29.
It was the same story in the second half as Louisville continued to dominate, extending its lead to as many as 43 points.
Louisville fell just short of scoring a season-high in their second straight game coming off a 108-53 win Saturday.
Jude Schimmel also had 14 points in her second straight start for the Cardinals.
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