Ball State University
0-9
Arkansas State
4-5
Men's Basketball Falls At Arkansas State
December 16, 2007 | Men's Basketball
JONESBORO, Ark. -- The Ball State men's basketball team cut a seven-point halftime deficit to as close as two points on several occasions in the second half Sunday, but Arkansas State answered from the free throw line to hold on for a 57-47 victory.
"Give credit to Arkansas State," said first-year Ball State head coach Billy Taylor. "They never allowed us to take the lead. We left a lot of points at the free throw line, missed layups and missed open shots when we had the chance to get close or take the lead. No one was able to knock the big shot down for us today."
Junior Brandon Lampley scored a career-high 13 points, including a trio of three-point field goals, as Ball State trailed 32-25 at halftime.
The Cardinals jumped out to an early 7-3 lead less than four minutes into Sunday afternoon's contest, but the host Indians answered over the next seven minutes to take a double-figure lead midway through the first half.
Lampley connected on a pair of three-pointers, plus hit a jumper in the lane with :10 on the clock to pull BSU within seven at 32-25.
In the second half, senior Peyton Stovall scored all 12 of his points to spark the near BSU comeback. He hit two three-point field goals to pull the Cardinals within 41-39 with 11 minutes to play.
A steal and layup from junior Laron Frazier kept BSU alive with under six minutes to play, before ASU secured the win with eight free thows in the final three minutes.
Freshman Melvin Goins finished with eight points, two assists and three steals. Junior Rob Giles added five points.
Ball State, which ended its second-longest road trip in school history at ASU, returns to Worthen Arena with three straight games.
The Cardinals host UC-Santa Barbara at 7 p.m. Dec. 19.
