Ball State University came out on fire Saturday afternoon at Ohio University.
However, the flame burned out in the second half and the Cardinals lost their third Mid-American Conference road game in three tries, a 61-59 decision.
The Cardinals' three losses on the road in MAC play have been by a combined eight points.
Ball State built a 12-point halftime lead behind six 3-pointers but made one of its nine attempts beyond the arc in the second half.
"Our kids certainly deserve to win a game like this," Cardinals' coach Billy Taylor said in a press release. "We gave a fantastic effort against a very good Ohio team."
The Cardinals led 24-23 late in the first half before unloading an 11-point run.
Junior forward Anthony Newell scored eight straight points, draining two 3-pointers and connecting on a short jump shot. Junior forward Rob Giles capped the run with another 3-pointer as time expired in the first half and the Cardinals led 35-23.
Newell, who entered the game having made two 3-pointers all season, made four against Ohio on his way to a game-high 24 points, in addition to eight rebounds. The second-highest scorer for Ball State was senior guard Peyton Stovall with seven points.
The Bobcats, who picked up their eighth straight home win, chipped away at the Cardinals' lead before taking a lead of their own, 51-50, with 2:43 left in the game.
The Cardinals' deficit was three when Newell hit his final trey to tie the game at 59 with 25 seconds to play. However, the Bobcats' Jerome Tillman connected on a jumper with five seconds to play and Newell's final 3-point attempt couldn't find the net.
"Obviously we were rushed to get a shot, but I felt like it was a good look," Newell said in the press release. "Unfortunately, it didn't fall."
Ball State, which fell to 2-4 in the MAC and 3-15 overall, made eight of 17 free throws in the game for a 47 percent mark, its worst of the season.
"We still have a few things we need to clean up in terms of execution," Taylor said in the press release. "Give Ohio credit. They made the big plays down the stretch."
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