Men’s Basketball Rides Strong Start past Miami

Tuesday, January 10

Muncie, Ind.

7:00 PM ET

Ball State University

10-6 (1-2MAC)

Miami (OH)

8-8 (1-2MAC)

Miami

Ball State

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Photo by: Kyle Crawford

January 10, 2017 | Men's Basketball

Box Score PDF Box Score Post-Game Press Conference

Cardinals’ 55 percent shooting night was second best of season

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Franko House led five double-figure scorers with 20 points as the Ball State men's basketball team defeated Miami 85-74 Tuesday night at Worthen Arena.

The Cardinals outscored the RedHawks 43-26 in the first half and kept them from seriously challenging over the final 20 minutes.

"I thought our guys really came ready to play," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "You look at Miami's numbers in the first half -- 26 percent from the field, 18 percent from 3 -- and I thought we really defended well. In the second half, I wasn't as happy with our defense. But our attitude, our mentality was still a lot better."

It was another balanced offensive night for Ball State (10-6, 1-2 Mid-American Conference). Eight different players recorded at least four shots, and none took more than eight.

The Cardinals shot 55.3 percent from the field, topping the 50-percent mark for the sixth time this season, and knocked down 10 of 23 from 3-point range.

Francis Kiapway followed House with 13 points, while Tayler Persons had 12, Tahjai Teague 11 and Jeremie Tyler 10. All four of those players connected on two 3-pointers in the game, while a total of six Cardinals made at least one trey.

But Whitford often speaks about how good shooting can come and go. It's the defensive end of the floor where he has pressed his team to improve. He saw improvement in the first half, specifically against Miami guard Michael Weathers who averages 18 points per game.

Weathers, guarded largely by Persons, was 1 for 3 from the floor with four turnovers in the opening half. The Cardinals' work on Miami's top scorer was a big reason they were able to build a 17-point halftime lead over the RedHawks (8-8, 1-2 MAC).

"I thought Tayler's defense in the first half was elite, the way he defended Weathers in the beginning of the game," Whitford said. "That's who Tayler can become on the defensive end consistently."

Weathers got it going in the second half and finished with a game-high 22 points, but he couldn't bring Miami back. The RedHawks cut the lead to nine on two occasions but could get no closer. Ball State led by as many as 19.

Ball State hit seven of its 10 3-pointers in the second half, including two each from Tyler and Kiapway, to keep the RedHawks at bay.

The Cardinals will head out on the road to play a fourth consecutive MAC East Division opponent when they visit Buffalo for a 2 p.m. tipoff Saturday. The team will then return to Muncie to host Central Michigan on Tuesday, Jan. 17.