Never let up on an opponent.
That's what Ball State learned on Monday night as it defeated Taylor 72-47 in its exhibition game, the game for Cardinals have scene since their trip to Canada over the summer.
Ball State used its size advantage and speed in transition to fire on all cylinders in the first half, opening with a 29-7 run.
"You start getting a little relaxed, but the main thing is we have to remember that it's never over. A 16 point lead is never sealed," Junior Jauwan Scaife said. "We have to continue to start to play hard and keep everyone in tune so we know what we have to do."
The Cardinals were 5-for-10 from 3-point range and 51.5 percent from the field. The second half was a different story.
Ball State's 40-19 halftime lead seemed to have the team complacent, and Taylor's Casey Coons took advantage early in the second half.
Coons hit three consecutive 3-pointers, trimming the deficit to 15 with 16:22 left in the second half. At that point, Worthen Arena began to get unsettled.
The Cardinals increased their defensive pressure and tempo on offense to extend the lead once again. This time the Trojans couldn't catch back up.
"It's definitely a learning experience. We learned and got it out of the way now so next time when we do go up 16 we have to see it as we have to push it to 25, to 30 and so on," Scaife said. "That was a learning experience for us."
The mindset to continue to put points on the board is key for Ball State when it faces No. 16 Arizona this coming Sunday.
Coach Billy Taylor admitted that coaching a team while up by such a large margin can be difficult, and even frustrating at times.
"We have a lot of guys that are gaining experience and we want them to be dialed in every possession," Taylor said. "It can be difficult, but it can be difficult whether the game is tied, you're up 16 or down 16. It's just gearing yourself mentally to say I'm going to stay focused."
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