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Ball State comeback falls short |
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 INDIANA STATE 57, BALL STATE 50
"Indiana State is a real good ball club and we knew this would be a tough place to play," Head Coach Billy Taylor said. "The first half we got beat on dribble penetration, we got beat on the glass and offensively we were stagnant. In the second half, we decided to play the way we know how to play. Our defense stiffened and the ball started to move offensively."
Ball State was out-scored 38-19 in the first half as it connected on just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) in the opening frame. The Cardinals responded after the halftime break and turned the tables on the Sycamores, out-scoring ISU 31-19. Ball State connected on 41.7 percent (10-of-24) in the second half and hit 8-of-10 free throws.
"We are very disappointed with this loss and our effort," Taylor said. "For us, it comes down to the fact that we only played 20 minutes tonight. We can't play 20 minutes against any ball club and expect to win. You have to be able to put a 40-minute game together each night, and hopefully our guys will figure that out."
Indiana State (3-0) came out of the gate quickly and jumped on the Cardinals as it opened to an early 15-7 lead. The Cardinals were cold while shooting from the field in the first half as they hit just 21.4 percent (6-of-28) and a mere 9.1 percent (1-of-11) from three-point land. Conversely, Indiana State connected on 42.3 percent (11-of-26) from the field, including three three-pointers, while hitting 13-of-14 (92.9%) from the free throw line.
The Sycamores ended the first half on a 9-0 run over the final 3:29 of the frame to take a 38-19 lead into the locker room. Dwayne Lathan scored six points during the spurt as he tallied a team-high 10 points off the bench in the first half. Justin Grant capped the scoring as he converted an old-fashioned three-point play with 51 seconds left in the half. Sophomore forward Matt Kamieniecki and sophomore guard Jesse Berry led the Cardinals with four points each in the first half.
Ball State came out of the break with an 11-3 run to narrow the gap to 41-30 and force Indiana State into a timeout. Junior guard Jauwan Scaife scored five points in the run, while senior forward Jarrod Jones added three.
Indiana State slowed the Cardinals' momentum with a 9-3 run of its own to extend its lead back to 17 points. Ball State answered, scoring 12 straight points to trim the deficit to 53-48. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Koch and Scaife started the run with back-to-back three-pointers while the Cardinals' defense came up with stops to give BSU life.
Ball State had a chance to make it a one possession game with just over three minutes remaining, but the Cardinals missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw attempt to keep the game at 53-48. BSU had one final chance with a minute left to make it a one-possession game but was unable to convert on the offensive end and Indiana State closed it out at the free throw line.
Scaife led Ball State with 15 points in the loss as he was the only Cardinals player in double figures. He connected on 5-of-13 from the field, including two three-pointers. Jones was held to seven points on 2-of-7 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds. Kamieniecki posted seven rebounds and five points in his return to the lineup.
Indiana State had three players in double figures with Lathan leading the way with 13 points and eight rebounds. Carl Richard chipped in 12 points, while Jordan Printy posted 10 as he hit three three-pointers.
Ball State opens the home portion of its 2011-12 schedule Wednesday night as it hosts instate foe IUPUI. Game time is set for 7 p.m. and is the first of three straight home games at Worthen Arena.
Courtesy of Ball State Athletics
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