Ball State University
0-5
St. Joseph University
3-1
Men's Basketball Battles Saint Joseph's; Fall 74-63
November 28, 2007 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA -- Despite a career-high 15 points from redshirt freshman Rashaun McLemore and 13 points from senior Peyton Stovall, the Ball State men's basketball team battled Atlantic-10 opponent Saint Joseph's before falling 74-63 in Philadelphia.
The game, played in front of a boisterous 3,200 fans in the crackerbox Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, saw the Cardinals battle back from an 11-point deficit through the first four minutes of the contest to take an eventual first-half lead.
"I thought our guys reacted well," said first-year head coach Billy Taylor. "Tonight was a really intense atmopshere and a terrific homecourt for Saint Joseph's. Even though we were off to a bad start, I liked the way we fought back, played under control and stayed with the plan. We just need to get over the hump."
The game was the first road game for Ball State and the home-opener for Saint Joseph's.
The Cardinals trailed 13-2 with 16:15 on the clock in the first half and by nine points with eight minutes to go.
Philadelphia-native Malik Perry sparked the BSU comeack, before a three-point field goal from junior Laron Frazier pulled BSU to within 22-21 with 6:52 remaining.
Stovall drilled a jumper on the next possession to put BSU ahead, before SJU nailed four three-pointers in the final five minutes to take a 36-29 halftime edge.
The Hawks opened the second half with six straight points and held the Cardinals without a bucket in the first three minutes to build a 13-point lead.
"The first four minutes of the game and the first four minutes of the second half really hurt us," Taylor said. "Saint Joseph's made runs which put us in a hole. I still like the way we battled."
The Cardinals again cut the SJU lead to single digits, pulling as close as three with 10 minutes to go following a three-pointer from Brandon Lampley.
Saint Joseph's answered from long-range again, connecting on four straight three-point field goals to push the lead back to double figures en route to a hard-fought 74-63 win.
"No one likes losing," Stovall said. "It's difficult, but these guys are improving. This team is improving. We have a plan and we still have goals. In times of adversity, we have to stay close as a team on the court and in the locker room. We are doing that."
Perry finished with nine points and eight rebounds, while Lampley added a career-high eight points.
Junior newcomer Rob Giles scored a career-high seven points and pulled in five rebounds.
Ball State, in the midst of the second-longest road trip in school history, returns to action with a 7:30 p.m. contest Saturday at Valparaiso.
