 BALL STATE 70, FLORIDA A & M 55
"This was a tough ball game for us," head coach Billy Taylor said. "Florida A&M is very competitive and battles all game long, so we knew we were going to have to push and wear them down over the course of 40 minutes. I was pleased with the fact that while we didn't play our best basketball, we rebounded strongly and scored well in the paint tonight."
Jones tied for team-high honors with 15 points while leading all players with 11 rebounds for the 25th double-double of his career. Senior guard Randy Davis also chipped in 15 points for the Cardinals, who improved to 8-4 on the year. Sophomore forward Chris Bond tallied 14 points. Davis hit 3-of-3 three-pointers and 4-of-4 from the free throw line in the victory while Bond was 7-of-10 from the field.
The Rattlers (2-13) were led in scoring by Amin Stevens' game-high 21 points. Reggie Lewis also posted double-figures for FAMU with 13.
CARDINALS POST SEASON-HIGH IN BLOCKS
The Cardinals shot 46.3 percent for the game, helped out by a 60.9 effort in the second half. BSU, which entered halftime with a 30-29 lead after a buzzer-beating three by Davis, outscored the Rattlers 40-26 in the second stanza. Ball State limited FAMU to a 34.8 shooting rate of success thanks in part to a season-high eight team blocks.
The Cardinals opened an early 9-4 lead thanks to seven straight points as Jones scored on back-to-back baskets. Florida A&M kept things tight in the first half as it scored six straight points to tie the game at 19-19.
The teams traded baskets back-and-forth with the Rattlers hitting a three-pointer to take a 29-27 lead with eight seconds left in the half. Davis came down the court and nailed his third three-pointer of the half at the buzzer to send the Cardinals to the locker room with a 30-29 lead.
Ball State connected on 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from the field and 33.3 percent (3-of-12) from long range. Davis hit all three of the Cardinals' long range shots as he led the team with nine first half points. Bond added eight points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field.
Florida A&M connected on 36.4 percent (12-of-33) from the field and 37.5 percent (3-of-8) from long range. The Rattlers out-rebounded the Cardinals 24-19 in the first half while also dishing out 10 assists. Reggie Lewis led FAMU with nine points while Amin Stevens chipped in seven points.
14-0 RUN FOR BSU
Florida A&M came out of the halftime break and posted a modest 6-1 run to take a 35-31 lead. The Cardinals responded as they ran off 14 unanswered points to grab a 51-41 lead with 8:54 left and force FAMU into a timeout. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Koch scored eight points in the run, including a pair of three-pointers to ignite the Cardinals' offense.
The Rattlers answered back with consecutive three-pointers before Ball State closed the game on a 19-8 run to take home the 15-point victory. Davis and Jones led the charge down the stretch with six points apiece while Bond added four points, including a thunderous dunk.
Ball State finished the game with a 40-37 edge on the glass as eight different Cardinals posted multiple rebounds, including five from Koch and four from Pierre Sneed off the bench. The Cardinals out-scored the Rattlers 36-18 in the paint as Bond, Jones and sophomore Matt Kamieniecki combined for 34 points.
Ball State opens Mid-American Conference play Saturday afternoon as it hosts preseason MAC West Division favorite Western Michigan. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Worthen Arena.
Courtesy of Ball State Athletics |
