MUNCIE, IN – Toledo saw its five-game winning streak come to an end with a 75-69 setback at Ball State in Saturday's Mid-American Conference opener in Worthen Arena. With the loss, UT falls to 5-7 overall, 0-1 in the league.

The reigning MAC West Division champion Cardinals (9-3, 1-0 MAC) outscored the Rockets 47-28 in the second half to claim their fourth straight victory in the series for the first time in the history of the rivalry, which dates back to 1981.

BSU shot a blistering 52.0 percent (12-of-23) from the field and knocked down 24-of-28 (82.6 percent) at the charity stripe in the final 20 minutes to overcome a double-digit halftime deficit.

MAC Player of the Year candidate Nathalie Fontaine sparked the second half surge, scoring 14 of her game-tying best 21 points after the break. Fontaine made five-of-seven shots from the floor and four-of-five charity tosses after the intermission to lift Ball State to its seventh win in the last eight games.

The Cardinals also received outstanding second half efforts from Shelby Merder (seven pts.), Jill Morrison (seven pts.) and Moriah Monaco (six pts.) to snap Toledo's unbeaten streak. Merder finished today's division match-up with 15 points, while Morrison and Monaco had 10 each.

In a tale of two halves, UT was stymied offensively in the final 20 minutes after an impressive opening stanza. The Midnight Blue & Gold was held to 25 percent (10-of-40) from the field in the second half, including 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from three-point range. Toledo was also limited to five-of-six (83.3 percent) from the free throw line.

Junior Janice Monakana paced the Rockets with a contest-tying best 21 points, followed by sophomore Jay-Ann Bravo-Harriott with 14. Senior Ana Capotosto and senior Brenae Harris added nine points each.

Capotosto just missed a double-double with a team-high 10 rebounds and helped UT post a commanding 44-32 edge on the glass.

With Toledo leading 41-28 at the break, the Cardinals cut the deficit in half in the third quarter, 50-44, thanks to a combined nine points from Merder and Fontaine. Meanwhile, the Rockets were restricted to only three baskets in the period, highlighted by a triple and layup from Monakana to make a two-possession affair.

BSU continued to fight back in the opening stages of the fourth stanza, scoring nine of the first 11 points to take a 53-52 lead at the 6:45 mark. Four different Cardinals mustered points in the beginning moments of the final period to force the Rockets into calling a timeout.

UT momentarily knotted the score at 53-53 after Harris split a pair of free throws, but BSU quickly responded with a game-sealing 8-0 run to create a 60-53 advantage with 4:24 left in regulation. Monaco started the pivotal burst with a three-point field goal from the wing and Fontaine capped it off with a pair of layups to give the home team a lead they would not relinquish.

Toledo made one final push and pulled within two points, 60-58, on the heels of five straight points from Monakana with 3:49 showing on the clock. Unfortunately for the Rockets, the home team responded with a deep trey from Monaco and a traditional three-point play by Fontaine to stall any hopes of a comeback. Ball State then put the finishing touches on the come-from-behind victory, hitting nine-of-10 free throws over the course of the final minute to make final score 75-69.

In the first half, Toledo came out like a ball of fire and held a 19-10 lead at the 3:50 mark. The Rockets knocked down eight of their initial 10 shots from the field to race out to the early four-possession advantage. Monakana sparked the fantastic start for the visitors, tallying seven points on a trio of field goals.

UT continued to be lights out shooting the ball in the second period, hitting its first four shots to push the lead to 33-17 at 7:03. The visitors received layups from freshman Sarah St-Fort and Capotosto, as well as triples by sophomore Jada Woody and Bravo-Harriott, to ignite the bench and faithful fans that made the trip over to Muncie.

Toledo did not take its foot off the accelerator for the remainder of the opening half and held a 41-28 advantage at the intermission. The Midnight Blue & Gold benefited from bench points by freshman Halee Printz and sophomore Michaela Rasmussen in the waning moments to make it a 13-point difference at the break, setting the stage for a dramatic second half.

UT shot a sizzling 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the field in the first half, compared to 33.3 percent (10-of-30) by BSU.

The Rockets will return home to host MAC East Division foe Kent State (3-8, 0-1 MAC) on Wednesday, Jan. 6. The opening tip versus the Golden Flashes is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. in Savage Arena and can be seen on ESPN3.