The final regular-season game for Ball State University's men's basketball team went much the same way the rest of the season had for the Cardinals. Ball State allowed Western Michigan University to go on a 12-0 run early in the second half and was unable to recover, falling 71-67 Sunday afternoon.
"It always seems like there's one run where somebody makes [shots] on us and we just don't stop it," senior Skip Mills said. "That's going to be a problem if you're going to try and beat someone. I mean, we did some good things on the court I thought, but that one run in the second half obviously just killed us."
It was the school-record 21st loss for the Cards (9-21, 5-11 Mid-American Conference), and the fifth in a row. Ball State has only won two games in the last month.
On senior night for the Cardinals, Skip Mills, D'Andre Peyton and Chris Ames all started for Ball State and saw more than 20 minutes of action. Mills scored 22 points, while Ames and Peyton fouled out with nine and six points, respectively. Sophomore Anthony Newell had a double-double with 13 points and 12 rebounds.
Ball State out-rebounded the Broncos, had 11 steals, forced 17 turnovers and had 17 offensive rebounds. However, Western made 10-of-17 from beyond the arc and went to the free-throw line 39 times to make up for the difference.
"Those are the areas of desire and passion, it's just tough," coach Ronny Thompson said. "When you can't convert them, that's what makes it tough."
Ball State led by as many as 11 in the first half before Western Michigan went on a 16-5 run to tie the score at 32 with 1:22 left in the half. Ball State made three free throws to end the half with a 35-32 edge.
"I thought Ball State just out-fought us for the first ten, twelve minutes of the game. Every 50-50 ball was theirs," Western Michigan coach Steve Hawkins said. "We felt pretty fortunate the go into the halftime locker room only down three at that point."
Following a pair of free throws from Jarelle Redden with 16:39 remaining in the second half, Western Michigan scored 12 consecutive points on two pairs of 3-pointers from Andre Ricks and David Kool.
"It's something we just have to keep working on, only got one more chance to work on it, otherwise we're finished," Mills said. "I need to work on being more consistent throughout the whole game as far as not having lulls myself when I'm not scoring baskets. Obviously, my team needs me to hit shots."
Newell seemed perplexed by the problems the Cardinals have dealt with all season, and didn't have any answers on how Ball State might solve them.
"I really don't have a clue," he said. "If I did, we would try and change it. I have no clue. No clue what it is, but it keeps happening. It keeps happening."
Ball State responded with a 10-3 run sparked by a Steve Horton jumper to close the score to 62-58, but could not pull any closer.
Ball State had 25 more shots than the Broncos, but only made six more field goals than Western. Ball State, which sits in last place in field goal percentage and 3-point field goal percentage in the MAC, shot 37.7 percent for the game and was 2-of-11 from beyond the arc.
"There's nothing they can really do about it," Hawkins said. "They remind me a lot of us last year. Last year we really struggled shooting from the perimeter. We had to win games with defense and rebounds and with controlling the tempo. And that's certainly what Ronny's trying to do right now."
While the Cardinals are on a five-game skid entering the MAC Tournament with a first-round matchup against Eastern Michigan, a team they've lost to twice, Hawkins said teams should beware of Ball State.
"If you look at a team and say 'They're struggling to score' and you look down and you say 'Well, they've only got five offensive rebounds', the effort areas, you think maybe they've thrown in the towel, they want the season to end," he said. "[Ball State's] not a team that looks like it's thrown in the towel. I think that's a team that could be dangerous, certainly capable of winning a ball game anytime in Cleveland depending on who they get. If they get some perimeter shots to drop, they're really dangerous."
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
