After trailing Toledo 27-26 at halftime, Ball State came out determined to play better basketball in the second half.
The Cardinals did just that, scoring 44 points after halftime to defeat the Rockets 70-60 Saturday night at Savage Arena. With the victory, Ball State (13-4) kept its perfect 5-0 record in the Mid-American Conference alive and increased its winning streak to seven games.
The 13-4 start is the best for the Cardinals since the 1997-78 season when they went 16-3 to begin the year.
In the first half, Toledo (4-15, 1-4 MAC) frequently used a 2-3 zone defense that forced Ball State into committing nine turnovers.
While the Cardinals finished with 16 turnovers on offense, their defense never faltered. The Rockets finished with 21 turnovers of their own, due in most part to Ball State playing full-court pressure defense against Toledo for most of the game.
Randy Davis struggled handing the ball, finishing with seven turnovers. He made up for it in second half to lead the Cardinals in scoring with 24 points, tying his carrer-high. Davis also dished out seven assists and snatched four steals.
Jauwan Scaife and Jarrod Jones added 13 and 12 points for Ball State, respectively.
The Cardinals shot only 3-4 from the free throw line in the first half, but broke out in the second to shoot 23-27 from the charity stripe. Davis was a perfect 14-14 from the line.
Toledo's Malcolm Griffin led all scorers with 25 points.
The last time Ball State defeated Toledo in Savage Arena was Jan. 12, 2002.
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