Saturday, February 25
Kalamazoo, MI
2:00 PM ET
Ball State University
9-718-11 < MAC>
55
at
80
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Western Michigan
9-713-15 < MAC>
1
2
F
Ball State
27
28
55
Western Michigan
38
42
80
Men’s Basketball Falls at Western Michigan
February 25, 2017 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals tied for MAC West lead with two games to play
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Ball State men's basketball team suffered an 80-55 loss Saturday at Western Michigan to fall into a tie with the Broncos for the Mid-American Conference West Division lead.
The Cardinals (18-11, 9-7 MAC) saw their three-game winning streak snapped, while Western Michigan (13-15, 9-7 MAC) extended its streak to six games.
Tayler Persons led Ball State with 15 points, and Franko House had 13. But the Cardinals could not muster the comeback magic they have had lately.
Ball State trailed 38-27 at halftime and could get no closer than eight points in the second half. The Broncos stretched out their lead, shooting 52 percent after the break.
"I give Western a lot of credit," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "They played really well, and they're playing really good basketball right now. I thought the game got really hard for us, and when it got hard, we didn't handle it the right way. I thought we got frustrated and let bad plays lead to worse plays."
The Cardinals had been outrebounded only seven times all year, but Western Michigan managed a 40-25 advantage on the glass. It was Ball State's largest rebounding discrepancy of the season.
Western Michigan pulled down nine offensive boards to Ball State's three and outscored the Cardinals 16-4 on second-chance points. The Broncos held a 20-7 advantage in scoring from the free throw line.
"Western is physical and they're tough," Whitford said. "We had to match that physicality and toughness, and we did not."
Tucker Haymond led the way with 21 points for the Broncos, while Thomas Wilder scored 16. Brandon Johnson had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Ball State had been averaging double-digit 3-pointers over the past four games but finished Saturday 6 for 20 from beyond the arc. The Cardinals shot 41 percent for the afternoon.
Ball State has two regular season games remaining, starting with a Tuesday night contest at Toledo. The Cardinals will then host Northern Illinois on Friday night for their second annual #MuncieOut game.
The Cardinals (18-11, 9-7 MAC) saw their three-game winning streak snapped, while Western Michigan (13-15, 9-7 MAC) extended its streak to six games.
Tayler Persons led Ball State with 15 points, and Franko House had 13. But the Cardinals could not muster the comeback magic they have had lately.
Ball State trailed 38-27 at halftime and could get no closer than eight points in the second half. The Broncos stretched out their lead, shooting 52 percent after the break.
"I give Western a lot of credit," Ball State coach James Whitford said. "They played really well, and they're playing really good basketball right now. I thought the game got really hard for us, and when it got hard, we didn't handle it the right way. I thought we got frustrated and let bad plays lead to worse plays."
The Cardinals had been outrebounded only seven times all year, but Western Michigan managed a 40-25 advantage on the glass. It was Ball State's largest rebounding discrepancy of the season.
Western Michigan pulled down nine offensive boards to Ball State's three and outscored the Cardinals 16-4 on second-chance points. The Broncos held a 20-7 advantage in scoring from the free throw line.
"Western is physical and they're tough," Whitford said. "We had to match that physicality and toughness, and we did not."
Tucker Haymond led the way with 21 points for the Broncos, while Thomas Wilder scored 16. Brandon Johnson had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Ball State had been averaging double-digit 3-pointers over the past four games but finished Saturday 6 for 20 from beyond the arc. The Cardinals shot 41 percent for the afternoon.
Ball State has two regular season games remaining, starting with a Tuesday night contest at Toledo. The Cardinals will then host Northern Illinois on Friday night for their second annual #MuncieOut game.
Team Stats
BSU
WMU
FG%
.412
.481
3FG%
.300
.571
FT%
.583
.800
RB
25
40
TO
11
9
STL
2
6
Game Leaders
Pts
15
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
F
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