Down one with less than two minutes remaining, freshman guard Francis Kiapway hit back-to-back three-pointers to help the Ball State men’s basketball team earn a 70-63 win over Indiana State.
“[Kiapway] is a really good player,” Ball State head coach James Whitford said. “I couldn’t be more happy for him … that dude loves the games as much as any player I’ve ever coached.”
After both sides traded baskets for most of the first half, Indiana State used an 8-2 run to take a 30-22 lead into halftime. For the second game in a row, Ball State shot under 30 percent in the first half, going just 8-of-27 from the field and 2-of-11 from the three.
Ball State had eight first-half turnovers, four on illegal screens, which seemed to carry over to the defensive end.
“It was a tough first half,” Whitford said. “It’s your ability to stay focused and keep moving … [just focusing on the next play] was a big theme for us in the second half.”
Ball State opened the second half on a 9-2 run, tying the score at 32 with 16:34 remaining.
Fifth-year senior Matt Kamieniecki energized Worthen Arena with relentless hustle, drawing several ovations from the crowd.
Kamieniecki finished with 11 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.
“I really think [Kamieniecki] was the difference,” Indiana State head coach Greg Lansing said. “He’s not the most talented guy out there, but he knows his role and plays his role better than anyone on the floor.”
Point guard Zavier Turner led Ball State with six assists while scoring 14 of his 15 points in the second half. Whitford said Turner’s facilitating in both the half court and in transition were key in Ball State’s comeback.
The Cardinals outscored the Sycamores in bench points 24-8, with Kiapway’s 11 and junior forward Bo Calhoun’s 13 leading the way.
While Kiapway played the role of late-game hero, Calhoun was consistent throughout. With Franko House confined to the bench with three first-half fouls, Calhoun led Ball State with six points in the first 20 minutes and added seven after the break.
Ball State shot 63.6 percent from the field in the second half and 6-of-10 from deep, finishing at 44.9 percent for the game.
Indiana State shot 44.6 percent from the field in the game and was led by forward Justin Gant’s 16 points.
With the win, Ball State evens its record at 3-3. The Cardinals will return to the court at 8 p.m. Dec. 13 for a road matchup with the 8-1 Valparaiso Crusaders.
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