Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
3-4
Indiana State
4-3
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT 1 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana State | 27 | 37 | 6 | 70 |
| Ball State | 27 | 37 | 9 | 73 |
Men's Basketball Defeats Indiana State
December 02, 2006 | Men's Basketball
The Cardinals (3-4) returned to Worthen Arena Saturday after an exhausting stretch of five games in eight days to play the Sycamores (4-3). Ball State fended off a talented ISU team to win in overtime 73-70.
"I'm most happy today because the guys didn't give up," head coach Ronny Thompson said. "They found a way to win."
The 122nd meeting in the all-time series -- the longest with any opponent for the Cardinals -- started slowly for both teams.
Ball State took its biggest lead of the first half at 25-19 following a layup from Mills with 3:23 on the clock.
The Sycamores answered however hitting a pair of treys in the final three minutes to tie the game at 27 at the half. Ball State's defense forced 15 ISU turnovers and accounted for four steals in the first half.
"I think the turnovers we generated were huge," Thompson said. "Another key was that we were able to score off those turnovers. In the past few games, we got the turnovers but didn't score. Now we're scoring off them."
Ball State started off the second period with a shot-clock beating three by junior Steve Horton and a lay-up from Mills. The Cardinals still held the lead at the 15:11 mark, when a steal by Chris Ames translated into a dunk that sent "The Nest" into a frenzy.
"My goodness the fans today," Thompson said. "Did you hear the student section or was it just me? I mean they were unreal. We've got to have them like that more often. There's no question 'The Nest' got our guys going."
The teams would continue to trade buckets and the lead as they totalled 15 ties and 17 lead changes on the afternoon.
The Cardinals held a 64-61 lead with :16 seconds left in regulation, before a clutch three by Indiana State's Gabriel Moore with :06 remaining tied the game and forced overtime.
In overtime the lead would change three times before a free throw by Peyton Stovall tied the game at 69. After a punctuating three by D'Andre Peyton with just :15 on the clock, the Cardinals never looked back en route to the 73-70 win.
"We called the play for D'Andre and he knocked it down," Thompson said. "We didn't need a three but he hit it."
"A victory feels really good," said senior Chris Ames, who played his fourth game with his mouth wired shut after suffering a broken jaw. "Everybody wants to win so this feels really good for us. We never let ourselves get down, we just come back the next day and work harder. This victory was a team thing, everybody pitched in today."
While the Cardinals only shot 36 percent, they had 19 more attempts than the Sycamores thanks in large to a tight defense that forced a game-high 21 turnovers.
The BSU bench also played well, outscoring Indiana State's bench 33-9.
In addition to the career-high 22 points from Peyton, the senior also grabbed seven rebounds and two steals.
Mills finished with 14 points, while sophomore Anthony Newell reached double figures for the seventh straight game with 11 points and six boards.
Ball State returns to the road for two straight games beginning with a 7 p.m. tilt Wednesday at No. 19 Butler in Indianapolis. The Cardinals then travel to San Diego to battle Oklahoma State Dec. 9.
