Friday, December 22
Muncie, Ind.
7:00 PM ET
Ball State University
8-4
70
vs
54
Jackson State
3-10
1
2
F
Jackson State
23
31
54
Ball State
31
39
70
Photo by: Kyle Crawford
Men’s Hoops Wins Seventh Straight, Pulls Away from Jackson State
December 22, 2017 | Men's Basketball
Kyle Mallers posts double-double, Cardinals shoot 57 percent in second half
MUNCIE, Ind. -- The Ball State men's basketball team ran its winning streak to seven games Friday night with a 70-54 victory over Jackson State at Worthen Arena.
Sophomore forward Kyle Mallers posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Francis Kiapway and Sean Sellers also scored 11.
Ball State (8-4) shook off a slow start against a pesky Jackson State defense and pulled away in the second half. The Cardinals have now won seven straight for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
"They're very different than what you normally see (defensively)," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "They're very good at turning people over. I thought that was an adjustment for us, and it just took us a little while to get accustomed to what they were doing. We were much better in the second half."
Ball State made 13 of 23 shots in the second half and connected on 6 of 12 from beyond the arc. After committing 11 first-half turnovers, the Cardinals gave it away only five times after the break. Jackson State (3-10) ranks in the top 30 nationally in steals.
The score was tied at 19 a little more than 15 minutes into game before Ball State started to find its way offensively. Kiapway drained a pair of 3-pointers as part of an 8-0 run to put the Cardinals in front for good.
Ball State went on to outscore Jackson State 33-14 over the next 14-plus minutes to open up its largest lead at 52-33 midway through the second half. From there, the lead was never closer than 14 points.
"The first half in particular was frustrating for us, and I thought we kind of hung in and kept fighting all the way through," Whitford said. "I thought it was a good win. I told our guys I was proud of them."
Junior center Trey Moses led the way on the glass with 11 boards as Ball State outrebounded Jackson State 39-26.
The Cardinals held Jackson State to 36 percent shooting for the game. The Tigers made 9 of 21 3-pointers but cooled off significantly after hitting five of their first six.
Ball State will return to action Friday, Dec. 29, hosting Florida A&M for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Worthen Arena in the team's final non-conference game.
Sophomore forward Kyle Mallers posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Francis Kiapway and Sean Sellers also scored 11.
Ball State (8-4) shook off a slow start against a pesky Jackson State defense and pulled away in the second half. The Cardinals have now won seven straight for the first time since the 2010-11 season.
"They're very different than what you normally see (defensively)," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "They're very good at turning people over. I thought that was an adjustment for us, and it just took us a little while to get accustomed to what they were doing. We were much better in the second half."
Ball State made 13 of 23 shots in the second half and connected on 6 of 12 from beyond the arc. After committing 11 first-half turnovers, the Cardinals gave it away only five times after the break. Jackson State (3-10) ranks in the top 30 nationally in steals.
The score was tied at 19 a little more than 15 minutes into game before Ball State started to find its way offensively. Kiapway drained a pair of 3-pointers as part of an 8-0 run to put the Cardinals in front for good.
Ball State went on to outscore Jackson State 33-14 over the next 14-plus minutes to open up its largest lead at 52-33 midway through the second half. From there, the lead was never closer than 14 points.
"The first half in particular was frustrating for us, and I thought we kind of hung in and kept fighting all the way through," Whitford said. "I thought it was a good win. I told our guys I was proud of them."
Junior center Trey Moses led the way on the glass with 11 boards as Ball State outrebounded Jackson State 39-26.
The Cardinals held Jackson State to 36 percent shooting for the game. The Tigers made 9 of 21 3-pointers but cooled off significantly after hitting five of their first six.
Ball State will return to action Friday, Dec. 29, hosting Florida A&M for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Worthen Arena in the team's final non-conference game.
Team Stats
JKST
BSU
FG%
.362
.500
3FG%
.429
.407
FT%
.750
.650
RB
26
39
TO
12
16
STL
12
5
Game Leaders
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
8
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballG/F
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