Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
3-5
Butler
10-0
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| BALL STATE | 17 | 24 | 41 |
| BUTLER | 35 | 30 | 65 |
Cardinals Suffer Setback At Butler
December 10, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The Bulldogs, who remain undefeated at 10-0, are ranked No. 14/15 in both national Top 25 polls this week.
The Cardinals drop to 3-5 on the season and return to action against nationally ranked Oklahoma State on a neutral court Saturday in San Diego, Calif.
"They are a very, very good team," says BSU head coach Ronny Thompson about Butler. "The thing about it is they make good decisions and are very balanced. There's a reason why they are undefeated and ranked as high as they are."
Butler quickly jumped out to a 5-0 lead less than a two minutes into the contest and never looked back. The lead reached double figures following a three-point field goal from Julian Betko at the 10:03 mark in the first half.
A layup from junior Micah Rollin pulled BSU within 11 points at 22-11 at the 7:54 mark, but the Bulldogs answered every BSU attempt and built an 18-point, 30-17, lead at the intermission.
Butler's A.J. Graves nailed a three-point bucket on the Bulldogs' first possession of the second half to push the home team's lead to over 20 points for the remainder of the game.
The Cardinals shot just 29 percent from the floor and 14 percent from the three-point line, compared to Butler's 40 percent for the game and 34 percent from behind the arc. Butler was 21-of-23 from the free throw line.
Anthony Newell reached double figures for the eighth straight game with his team-high 11 points. Skip Mills and D'Andre Peyton each chipped in seven points.
Butler was paced by the 21 points of Mike Green, while Betko and Graves each finished with 11.
"Mike Green is the best point guard we've played against all year," says Thompson.
The Cardinals return to the road for a 4 p.m. (7 p.m. Muncie) game Saturday against nationally ranked Oklahoma State. The game is the first contest in the 2006 San Diego Slam played at Cox Arena in San Diego, Calif.
