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MUNCIE, IN – Visiting Miami led at half for the first time since Nov. 28, but Jarrod Jones scored 21 points and pulled down 12 rebounds to pace the Cardinals as Ball State kept Miami winless on the road with a 65-59 double overtime victory Tuesday at Worthen Arena.
It was the third win in the last four games for Ball State (9-9, 3-3 MAC), with all three wins coming on the home court. Miami, meanwhile, dropped out of a tie for first place in the MAC East as the RedHawks struggled through what had previously been their strength – the second half.
Miami’s field goal percentage fell to 30.4 percent in the second half as the Cardinals rallied from a nine-point deficit with 9:09 remaining to tie the game, 48-48, and force overtime.
“I’ve never seen a team miss as many open shots as we missed,” RedHawks head coach Charlie Coles said. “We had some great looks …. We just didn’t deliver.”
Although BSU scored just three field goals over two overtime periods, that was one more than the RedHawks. Moreover, two of the three Ball State overtime goals turned into 3-point plays after the Cardinals converted foul shots.
Both teams finished with 19 field goals and Miami had an advantage in treys, making 5-of-24. Ball State netted just 1-of-7 from behind the arc. The hosts, however, had a 40-32 rebounding edge and also enjoyed a 10-point advantage (26-16) from the line in a foul-plagued contest.
Although free throws accounted for much of the scoring during the game’s final stages, the whistles started early.
“In the beginning of the game, we just started fouling,” said Coles, adding, “We weren’t ready to play.”
The fouls started adding up, not only putting the Cardinals at the line early, but putting RedHawks on the bench. Even as Miami was building its second half lead, foul trouble was brewing. When sophomore stalwart Julian Mavunga drew his fourth foul at 9:25, he became the fourth MU player with four fouls.
Things got worse for the visitors when center Adam Fletcher joined the four-foul list at 5:06 and joined the bench when he drew a fifth foul at 4:01 of the first overtime. According to Coles, the loss of Fletcher was particularly damaging.
“When he was in there, I thought he was the guy that wasn’t going to let us lose. If I had to (name) one guy today to say that he was tough, it would have been Adam Fletcher, Coles said. “When he went out of there, I kind of got sad because I didn’t see the same energy on the floor (anymore).”
Terrence Watson’s layup and foul shot with 1:26 remaining in the first overtime tied the game at 54-all with 1:26 remaining, but neither team could manage another point in the first overtime.
The game was again tied - 58-all – after a Mavunga free throw with 57 seconds left in the second extra period. Scaif, however, broke the game’s 10th tie 13 seconds later when he scored on a layup and coverted a free throw.
Scaif scored 11 points – six of them at the line – to join Jones as the only Ball State players in double figures. Mavunga (14) and Winbush (10) were the only Miami players in double digits.
Ball State led 61-59 when Myron Green Jr. was fouled with 13 seconds left by Rodney Haddix II, who joined Fletcher on the bench with five personals.
Green, shooting the super bonus, made both free throws and added another pair 10 seconds later for the final margin.
Ball State made 70.3 percent of its free throws for the game, but was 16-of-17 as it rallied to force overtime and pull out the victory. Sixteen of Ball State’s final 25 points were from the line.
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