Ball State University
13-7, 5-2MAC
Ohio
10-11, 3-4MAC
Men's Hoops Drops Hard Fought Game Against Ohio
January 30, 2011 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. - Despite a game-high 21 points from junior forward Jarrod Jones (Michigan City, Ind./Michigan City H.S.), the Ball State men's basketball team fell one point short in a 61-60 loss to visiting Ohio Saturday afternoon in Mid-American Conference action at Worthen Arena. The Cardinals fall to 13-7 (5-2 MAC) with the loss but maintain the top spot in the MAC West Division, while the Bobcats improve to 10-11 (3-4 MAC).
"After Thursday's game (Kent State) I wasn't sure about our team's fight, but today I thought we played much harder and really competed on both ends of the floor," head coach Billy Taylor said. "I know our team is going to bounce back after this past week. This team has been through adversity before and has responded in the past. These young men will show up tomorrow and have the right attitude, intensity and mindset as we get ready for Miami Tuesday."
Jones, who came off the bench for the first time this season and snapped a 69-game starting streak, scored his first basket in the paint at the 16:37 mark to become the 25th player in Ball State history to reach the 1,000-point mark in a career. He finished the day with 1,020 career points. He connected on 10-of-19 from the field while grabbing seven rebounds, blocking three shots and handing out two assists.
"We are all extremely proud of Jarrod for reaching this milestone, we just wish it would have come in a win so we could enjoy it a little longer," Taylor said. "It is a special accomplishment and it puts you in a rare category of player that can reach 1,000 points as a junior."
Senior forward DeVaughn Washington led a trio of Bobcats in double-figures with 16 points. Muncie native and senior forward Tommy Freeman added 10 points, including a pair of free throws with 20 seconds left on the clock to seal the victory for the visitors from Athens.
For the game, Ball State held the league's second-best offense to 61 points and a .367 (18-of-49) effort from the field. However a .905 (19-of-21) day from the free throw line helped Ohio earn the win. The Cardinals shot .471 (24-of-51) from the field and .500 (8-of-16) from the charity stripe.
Ball State came out of the gate quickly as it opened on a 9-2 run to force an Ohio timeout just over three minutes into the game. Freshman forward Matt Kamieniecki (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) sparked the attack in his first career start as he scored the first five BSU points.
Ohio settled in and started to chip away at the Cardinals' lead as it tied the game at 14-14 with a 7-2 run. The teams traded baskets for most of the first half with Ball State holding a 24-23 lead as freshman guard Tyrae Robinson (Gary, Ind./Bowman Academy) drove down the lane and scored on a layup.
The Bobcats closed the first half on a 10-2 run to head into the locker room with a 33-26 advantage. Ohio took advantage of some BSU foul trouble as senior forward Malik Perry (Philadelphia, Pa./Philadelphia Lutheran) and Kamieniecki each notched three first half fouls. The Bobcats capitalized on the foul trouble and out-rebounded the Cardinals 23-14, including 11 offensive rebounds as they scored 12 second chance points.
Ball State connected on 45.5 percent (10-of-22) from the field but missed all four three-pointers it took. Jones led the attack with eight points on 4-of-8 shooting while Kamieniecki had five early points. Ohio finished the half shooting 31.3 percent (10-of-32) from the field but hit 11-of-12 (91.7%) from the free throw line. Washington led the Bobcats with 12 points as he took advantage of the depleted front line for Ball State.
The Cardinals started the second half going back-and-forth with the Bobcats before Ohio opened up a 44-35 lead with a 7-2 run, capped by a Freeman three-pointer to force BSU into a timeout. Ball State responded to the timeout in impressive fashion as it posted a 12-0 run to take a 47-44 lead and force Ohio into a timeout.
Junior guard Randy Davis (Plymouth, Ind./Plymouth) started the run with a three-pointer off a screen while freshman guard Jesse Berry (Lafayette, Ind./Jefferson) scored five points in the spurt, including a three-pointer to give the Cardinals their first lead of the second half. The Cardinals stepped up their play on the defensive end as they forced three straight turnovers during the stretch.
Ohio came right back and posted an 8-1 run to take the lead back at 52-48. Freeman and Nick Kellogg were the catalysts in the run as they both hit long range shots to keep the see-saw affair going.
Once again, Ball State had an answer as it responded with seven straight points to take a 55-52 lead. Jones scored five straight points in the run while freshman forward Chris Bond (Gary, Ind./Bowman Academy) topped the spurt with a fast break dunk off a steal in the Ohio backcourt.
The Bobcats had the game's final run though as they answered with seven straight of their own to take a 59-55 lead. Kellogg scored five points in the stretch, including the go-ahead three-pointer in transition.
Ball State battled in the final minute to tie the game as Jones scored in the paint to narrow the gap to 59-57. After a BSU stop on defense, the Cardinals had two looks in the paint but were unable to convert allowing Ohio to regain possession with a defensive rebound. The Bobcats sealed the victory with a pair of free throws from Freeman with 20.3 seconds remaining.
The Cardinals committed 17 turnovers in the loss, which Ohio turned into 18 points against. Ball State narrowed the rebounding deficit to 36-30 as it out-rebounded the Bobcats 16-7 in the second half while not allowing an offensive rebound.
Davis finished the game with 11 points and six assists in 32 minutes of action as he was 3-of-5 from long range. Bond added nine points and five rebounds in his first career start as he played a career-high 34 minutes. Berry chipped in nine points on 4-of-9 shooting from the field.
Ball State hits the road Tuesday evening as it travels to Oxford, Ohio for a meeting with rival Miami. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Millett Hall.
####
