Ball State University Athletics
Men's Basketball Loses Close One To Miami
January 14, 2006 | Men's Basketball
In the end, Miami got the defensive stops it needed and made free throws down the stretch to earn a 59-55 victory.
D'Andre Peyton led three Ball State double-figure scorers with a season-high 17 points. Skip Mills reached double-figures for the 20th consecutive game with 14 points, and Maurice Acker added 12 points.
Thirty-nine of the Cardinal's points came from players who are in their first year of action at Ball State.
"We're just making unbelievable progress with those young guys," Ball State coach Tim Buckley said. "We battled for 40 minutes. I was really proud of our effort."
With the game tied at 51 with 2:07 to play, Miami's Nate Vandersluis made two free throws to give the RedHawks the lead. Vandersluis led Miami with 16 points.
On Ball State's following possession, Mills worked his way into the lane but had his shot blocked. Miami rebounded, and Ball State fouled Nathan Peavy, who made two more free throws to give Miami a 55-51 lead with 1:07 left.
Mills scored four points in the closing minute, but Ball State was forced to foul, and Miami didn't miss from the line.
"Typical Miami-Ball State game right down to the end," Miami coach Charlie Coles said. "Anytime you can get a win here, you don't take it for granted."
Ball State shot 36 percent from the floor, but the Cardinals only turned the ball over six times. Ball State forced 13 Miami turnovers.
The Cardinals trailed 25-23 at the half, and Miami extended its lead to five points early in the second half. But Ball State continued to hang around. Jalon Perryman nailed a 3-pointer with 7:48 to play to give Ball State its first lead of the second half. A Maurice Acker lay-in near the six minute mark pushed the lead to 44-41, matching the Cardinals' largest advantage of the game.
A 3-pointer by Miami's Josh Hausfeld quickly tied the game again.
Ball State (4-8, 0-4 MAC) returns to action Wednesday at Buffalo at 7 p.m.
"We're 0-4 right now, but we've been improving a lot," Acker said. "That's all we're worrying about right now is steady improvement and getting better as the season goes on."
