Wednesday, November 23
Las Vegas, Nev.
12:30 PM PT (3:30 ET)
Ball State University
3-2
94
vs
83
Southern Utah
1-4
1
2
F
Ball State
35
59
94
Southern Utah
35
48
83
Photo by: Jimmy Mitchell
Big Second Half Leads Men’s Hoops over Southern Utah
November 23, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals close out Las Vegas trip with 94-83 victory
LAS VEGAS -- The Ball State men's basketball team found its offensive rhythm in the second half Wednesday on the way to a 94-83 win over Southern Utah to close out the Men Who Speak Up Main Event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
The Cardinals (3-2) made 66 percent of their shots over the final 20 minutes (19 of 29) and scored 59 points to open up a game that was tied at the half.
"That was the best half of offense we've had this year," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "We've had some guys that were struggling to make shots, and that can weigh on your mind and make you hesitant. I thought we really freed up and played the game the right way in the second half. That was great to see on offense. We still have to get better on defense than we are right now."
Seven Ball State players scored at least nine points, led by junior guard Sean Sellers with 18. Franko House (16), Tayler Persons (14) and Trey Moses (13) also scored double figures.
Moses scored all 13 of his points in the second half and matched Tahjai Teague for team-high honors with eight rebounds. The Cardinals moved the ball well, recording 22 assists on 30 made baskets, including some nice looks by Moses from the high post.
Ball State went on a 12-1 run capped by a Ryan Weber 3-pointer near the midway point of the second half to take control and grab a 59-47 lead. The Cardinals stretched the lead to as many as 16 points at the 8:38 mark when Moses found Francis Kiapway under the basket for a lay-in.
"I thought we played the right way in the first half," Whitford said. "We weren't lighting it up, but the guys' mentality and attitude were right. My point to them at halftime was to just keep plugging away and we'll break this thing open."
Southern Utah (1-4) continued to hang around. Led by Race Parsons with 28 points and James McGee with 21, the Thunderbirds would not go away. They cut the lead to eighth points on a few occasions in the final minutes, but Ball State was able to seal the game at the free throw line.
Kiapway, Weber and Kyle Mallers all scored nine points in the game. The Cardinals started to find their shooting touch from long range, making 10 of 24 3-point attempts. Sellers had four 3's, while Mallers had three and Weber two.
The game featured lots of whistles as the teams combined for 58 fouls. House and Weber both fouled out for Ball State, while Persons and Sellers finished with four fouls each. Southern Utah also had a pair of players foul out.
Ball State will return home for Thanksgiving and then head back on the road to play Sunday at Valparaiso. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT (2:30 ET) at the Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Indiana.
The Cardinals (3-2) made 66 percent of their shots over the final 20 minutes (19 of 29) and scored 59 points to open up a game that was tied at the half.
"That was the best half of offense we've had this year," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "We've had some guys that were struggling to make shots, and that can weigh on your mind and make you hesitant. I thought we really freed up and played the game the right way in the second half. That was great to see on offense. We still have to get better on defense than we are right now."
Seven Ball State players scored at least nine points, led by junior guard Sean Sellers with 18. Franko House (16), Tayler Persons (14) and Trey Moses (13) also scored double figures.
Moses scored all 13 of his points in the second half and matched Tahjai Teague for team-high honors with eight rebounds. The Cardinals moved the ball well, recording 22 assists on 30 made baskets, including some nice looks by Moses from the high post.
Ball State went on a 12-1 run capped by a Ryan Weber 3-pointer near the midway point of the second half to take control and grab a 59-47 lead. The Cardinals stretched the lead to as many as 16 points at the 8:38 mark when Moses found Francis Kiapway under the basket for a lay-in.
"I thought we played the right way in the first half," Whitford said. "We weren't lighting it up, but the guys' mentality and attitude were right. My point to them at halftime was to just keep plugging away and we'll break this thing open."
Southern Utah (1-4) continued to hang around. Led by Race Parsons with 28 points and James McGee with 21, the Thunderbirds would not go away. They cut the lead to eighth points on a few occasions in the final minutes, but Ball State was able to seal the game at the free throw line.
Kiapway, Weber and Kyle Mallers all scored nine points in the game. The Cardinals started to find their shooting touch from long range, making 10 of 24 3-point attempts. Sellers had four 3's, while Mallers had three and Weber two.
The game featured lots of whistles as the teams combined for 58 fouls. House and Weber both fouled out for Ball State, while Persons and Sellers finished with four fouls each. Southern Utah also had a pair of players foul out.
Ball State will return home for Thanksgiving and then head back on the road to play Sunday at Valparaiso. Tipoff is set for 1:30 p.m. CT (2:30 ET) at the Athletics-Recreation Center in Valparaiso, Indiana.
Team Stats
BSU
SUU
FG%
.536
.431
3FG%
.417
.391
FT%
.774
.686
RB
41
27
TO
16
12
STL
3
9
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
18
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
4
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG/F
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G/F
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