Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
1-11
IPFW
5-8
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
|---|---|---|---|
| IPFW | 20 | 42 | 62 |
| Ball State | 35 | 34 | 69 |
Happy "Newell" Year; Stovall Scores 37 In BSU Win
December 31, 2007 | Men's Basketball
In a dominating-performance from Stovall, the Cardinals were able to hold on to gain their first victory of the season in a hard-fought, 69-62 win over IPFW.
Stovall was the leading scorer with a career-high 37 points, which included a career-high 14 made free-throws and a strong defensive effort with nine rebounds and five steals.
“I can't say enough about how proud I am of our entire team,” said first-year BSU head coach Billy Taylor said. “The way we've competed, our kids never got down and they kept believing and working hard.
"This IPFW team is really talented. I love the way Anthony came back in and performed, and I can't say enough about Peyton's performance.”
Newell got the Cardinals off to a 6-0 start over the Mastodons and scored the first eight points for
The Cardinals would allow only one tie at six, but after another field goal by Newell the Cardinals never looked back outscoring IPFW 9-0, and extending the lead to 25-12.
The Cardinals held the lead at 35-20 going into the locker room.
While the Mastodons charged back to within four points in the second half, the big story of the afternooon was Newell's return which allowed for more options from Stovall.
“I think it's one of my better games,” Stovall said. “From the start, we played as a team. Newell hit me on a couple passes and guys were moving the ball. I was feeling it today. I tried my best to knock down shots.”
Stovall recorded career highs in four categories Saturday afternoon.
“We showed great resiliency,”
IPFW did make a run in the second half, closing to within three points at 65-62 after a three-point field goal by IPFW guard Jakari Johnson.
However, on the next offensive play by the Cardinals, Stovall grabbed his game-high ninth rebound which secured the victory for the Cardinals.
Melvin Goins recorded a block on defense with 19 seconds left and pushed the ball to Newell who was fouled. The Cardinals would visit the stripe one more time as Malik Perry connected on two free throws for the win.
The win for the Cardinals was the first on the season as the Mid-American Conference season starts Sunday at
“When we said we were zero and zero we meant it,” Stovall said. “We don't want to be too happy with the win, but we want to continue to do that. It's a good day to start.”
Game Notes:
Peyton Stovall's 37 points and 14 made free throws are both career-highs, while his 10 field goals made tie a career-high.
With his 37 points, Peyton Stovall becomes the first player to score 30-plus points in a game since Skip Mills posted 38 at Buffalo (March 6, 2006).
Peyton Stovall climbs into the Top 20 in career points scored at
With three three-point buckets, Peyton Stovall becomes just the fourth player in BSU annals to tally 140 three-pointers. Stovall currently ties Bonzi Wells for fourth in school history with 142 three-point baskets made.
With Newell's first basket of the game,
Newell scored BSU's first eight points, going 3-for-3 from the field and adding a pair of free throws.
Newell made his first four baskets of the day, finishing the contest 6-for-11 from the floor, scoring 18 total points including a 6-for-8 day from charity stripe.
The Cardinals held a 35-20 lead at halftime, marking just the second time this season BSU has held the advantage after the first 20 minutes.
In addition, BSU's 35 first-half points tie for the most the Cardinals have scored in the first half this season.
The
Peyton Stovall and Anthony Newell both reached double-figures in the first half, with Stovall scoring 14 point and Newell adding 12
Stovall and Newell tallied double-figure points in the same game for just the 10th time in the 35 games they have played together.
This is just the second time this season a pair of Cardinals has reached double figures in the first half, the only other time was Nov. 14 vs. UW-Milwaukee when Laron Frazier and Anthony Newell scored 11 and 10 points, respectively.
BSU's 19-point advantage at 18:53 in the second half marked the Cardinals' largest lead over an opponent this season.
