TOLEDO, Ohio — Michael Lewis couldn’t believe what he saw on the iPad he was holding.
Sitting in the Ball State locker room, the third-year Ball State head coach watched Jermahri Hill’s last-second shot multiple times. Called good on the court and the jumbotron, the Cardinals thought they had defeated Toledo, the Mid-American Conference (MAC) No. 3 seed, on their home court at John F. Savage Arena.
But after a lengthy review, the basket was called no-good, ending Ball State’s celebration as the team somberly strolled off the court after falling 67-66.
“The last play, we were given video on the bench, on an iPad. We also have the feed that [the officials] saw, and if those are the only angles, which they are, you can't reverse that call because it’s not definitive,” Lewis said.
“I just watched it. I felt it was good live. You can't tell, so if you call it good, you can't tell, you can't reverse it. It’s a real travesty because you can't tell.”
The matchup tipped off as Ball State (13-13, 6-7 MAC) junior Juanse Gorosito drained a three on the opening possession. While the Rockets battled only to trail 8-7 minutes later, the Cardinals rattled off an 11-3 scoring run to lead 20-10.
After another hot streak on offense, the red and white led 33-22 at the 3:15 mark of the first half.
However, Toledo (16-10, 9-4 MAC) proved why they are one of the top three teams in the MAC as they found some rhythm and matched the Cardinals’ offensive poise. While Ball State could keep a lead, junior guard Jermahri Hill went down with a non-contact leg injury and had to be helped off the court.
After the Cardinals headed into the locker room leading 35-28 at halftime, Hill returned to the game after the break. Even though Ball State’s No. 1 scorer was back, the Rockets didn’t seem concerned as Toledo opened the half on a 9-1 run.
“I thought we got some [upset] guys who didn't get the ball when they thought they were open,” Lewis said. “They jogged back and backpedaled instead of sprinting back.”
Following the run came even more offensive success for the Rockets as they were able to penetrate Ball State’s defense inside the paint. For most of the half, the Cardinals seemed to be lost, standing around on offense and playing sloppy defense.
But even with the poor 10-minute stretch, Ball State fought back to tie the game 61-61 with 3:16 left in the game. To Lewis, the team’s effort was the reason they found themselves in that position.
Yet, after a foul from sophomore forward Mason Jones, the Rockets hit two free throws to lead 62-61 with 12 seconds remaining. After a timeout, Hill danced around the paint and laid the ball in the hoop. But after the review, it was a negative outcome for the Cardinals.
“I shook hands [with the officials] and came off. They’re not gonna talk to you. They're not held accountable,” Lewis said. “There should be a public response to what they saw, but I doubt we get that.”
After the game, Hill — who had 16 points with senior center Payton Sparks — sat in the tunnel before the post-game press conference. He was speechless. The only thing he could confirm was that this added motivation as this was the first time Toledo swept the season series with Ball State in 10 years (2014-15).
“It definitely should add fire behind us as a team,” Hill said. “I think we'll be good going forward.”
Lewis continued to say the officials did not have the tools needed to make the correct call.
“If we lose, you lose, but you can't reverse a call when you can't be 100 percent sure that it wasn't out of his hand,” he said.
Ball State now sits in a three-way tie for sixth place in the MAC with Eastern and Western Michigan. Though he’s upset about the final ruling, Lewis blames the rough ten minutes in the second half for the loss.
“We put ourselves in that position to allow a decision to be made, and we got to be better,” Lewis said. “It’s gonna be those first ten minutes of the start of the second half.”
Ball State will look for the win column and a chance to break the tie with the Eagles and Broncos as they face Buffalo Saturday, Feb. 22. The game will start at 2 p.m.
“With me saying [all] that, I'm sure we'll get punished in some way, shape or form, and I'm sure Saturday’s game will be a complete debacle,” Lewis said. “If there's another angle, like, ‘Okay, let me see. Let’s see it and I'm happy to talk about it.”
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu or via X @ZachCarter85.
Read More
Whimsies Boutique provides safe shopping environment for all
By Andie Zelaya / 1 hours agoWhimsies Boutique aims to provide a safe and welcoming shopping environment for all.
Cloudy and Warm Conditions Ahead
5 hours agoWeather Forecaster Blake Mattull is tracking warmer conditions coming into the next week
Ball State’s Multicultural Center to be renamed in honor of two pillar Black community members
By Katherine Hill / 8 hours agoLate Muncie natives Vivian Conley and Hurley Goodall Jr. will bear the namesake of the university center.
