Ball State's Jauwan Scaife drove left, spun and hit a pull-up jumper from just outside the lane.
That shot scored the first points of the game, but from the beginning, it seemed Taylor University couldn't match the junior guard's athleticism on the perimeter.
Scaife used a variety of dribble drives and screens to get separation from his defender and finish plays. He scored or assisted on Ball State's first 14 points and led the team on a 16-0 run to start the game.
The Cardinals rode their fast start to a 72-47 win over the Trojans in Monday's exhibition.
Ball State's offensive surge got the crowd in Worthen Arena cheering, but Scaife said it was his play on the defensive end that got him going.
"When I play good defense, it usually gets me going," Scaife said. "That was my goal — to try and get some stops. I ended up playing the passing lanes and getting out on the break. It got me into a good rhythm."
So did the team. By the 9:40 mark in the first half, the Cardinals had a 24-6 lead.
Despite the big lead, Ball State's offense started to sputter heading into halftime. The break didn't help. Taylor trimmed its deficit to 15 after consecutive 3-pointers by Taylor's Casey Coons by the 16:22 mark of the second half.
But Ball State's perimeters players wouldn't let Taylor get any closer than the three-point line. Sophomore guard Jesse Berry picked up the scoring slack in the second half. He consistently broke down the defense and made tough shots or found teammates.
Berry finished with 22 points to lead the Cardinals, and senior center Jarrod Jones added 16. Scaife did most of his damage in the first half and ended with 15 points and six assists.
"I really give the credit to my teammates," Berry said. "They screen for me and get me open. They put me in positions where they know I can put the ball in the basket. They look out for me."
Ball State played four games in Canada on a foreign tour in early August. Even with the winning margin at 25 points Monday, coach Billy Taylor said he would've liked to see better offensive efficiency at this point in the season.
"I certainly would have liked to handle the ball better," Taylor said. "We had 16 turnovers so we certainly anticipated doing that a little better. We also need to screen better. The trip to Canada let us get a little jump start, but there are still things we need to work on."
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