The Ball State men's basketball team held off Longwood in the second half to come away with a 69-64 victory on Dec. 28 at Worthen Arena.
"We got the ball in late in the game, we didn't turn it over in the second half, we handled the press late...we got the right guys to the line when it mattered most," head coach James Whitford said. "I was pleased with the way we handled the end."
Ball State got off to a slow start in the game, not putting the ball in the basket. The Cardinals shot just 38.3 percent in the game.
At the half, Ball State led Longwood 28-22.
In the second period, Longwood came out firing from the field. Whitford credited the Lancers for hitting big three-pointers every time the Cardinals were threatening to pull away.
Lonwood hit 11-of-23 from three-point range in the game, while Ball State finished 10-of-23 from deep.
Freshman Sean Sellers was perfect from beyond the arc in the game, finishing 4-of-4. He finished with 15 points to lead the Cardinals.
Ball State played most of the game with a seven-man rotation, as freshman guard Jeremie Tyler sat out.
Longwood outscored Ball State in a high-scoring second half, 42-41.
Two other Cardinals joined Sellers in double figures, as freshman Francis Kiapway and fifth-year Matt Kamieniecki added 11 each.
Sophomore Franko House pulled down nine rebounds to lead the team. He also had eight points. Sophomore guard Zavier Turner had nine points for the Cardinals.
"I thought our focus when we got back was very good, I thought our focus in shootaround was good, and I thought we were focused today," Whitford said. "If they don't shoot the ball as well in the second half, to me that becomes a 15-point game."
With the win, Ball State is now 4-6 on the season. The Cardinals return to action Jan. 7 when they travel to take on Mid-American Conference opponent Eastern Michigan.
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