Friday, November 16
Charleston, S.C.
1:30 PM ET
Ball State University
1-3
61
vs
79
Alabama
3-1
1
2
F
Ball State
21
40
61
Alabama
34
45
79
Photo by: Tim Cowie Photography
Alabama Jumps out Quickly on Men’s Basketball in Charleston
November 16, 2018 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals shoot better than 60 percent in second half but can’t rally
CHARLESTON, S.C. -- The Ball State men's basketball team found itself in an early hole against Alabama and could never get out of it, as the Cardinals fell in their third straight matchup against a team from last year's NCAA Tournament.
Alabama (3-1) built a 13-point lead just eight minutes into Friday's game and led the rest of the way in a 79-61 win at TD Arena on day two of the Charleston Classic.
Ball State (1-3) will be off Saturday and then play its final game in Charleston at 11 a.m. Sunday against the loser of Friday's matchup between Wichita State and Appalachian State.
K.J. Walton led the Cardinals with 13 points against Alabama, while Trey Moses went for 11. Kyle Mallers and Tayler Persons had 10 each. Moses, working his way back from preseason knee surgery, started to look like himself in the second half when he scored all of his points.
Ball State shot 63 percent from the floor in the second half and attempted 13 more free throws for the game but could not cut into the Alabama lead. The Crimson Tide owned a 46-30 advantage in the paint and 15-4 in second-chance points.
"The first half when things got really hard for us, we took too much on our shoulders individually, tried to make a lot of one-on-one plays, and it backfired on us," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "In the second half, we shared the ball better, and I thought we really played good offense."
Ball State finished just 3-of-12 from 3-point range and didn't make its first trey until Ishmael El-Amin connected on one with 12:54 to play.
Tevin Mack led Alabama with 20 points and knocked down 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He entered the game just 1-of-13 from beyond the arc. Donta Hall added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Crimson Tide.
"Our defense wasn't tough enough in the second half," Whitford said. "We scored the ball well enough to make a run, but it was too easy for them. It was a frustrating game for us, and I thought we let that frustration impact us on the defensive side."
Alabama (3-1) built a 13-point lead just eight minutes into Friday's game and led the rest of the way in a 79-61 win at TD Arena on day two of the Charleston Classic.
Ball State (1-3) will be off Saturday and then play its final game in Charleston at 11 a.m. Sunday against the loser of Friday's matchup between Wichita State and Appalachian State.
K.J. Walton led the Cardinals with 13 points against Alabama, while Trey Moses went for 11. Kyle Mallers and Tayler Persons had 10 each. Moses, working his way back from preseason knee surgery, started to look like himself in the second half when he scored all of his points.
Ball State shot 63 percent from the floor in the second half and attempted 13 more free throws for the game but could not cut into the Alabama lead. The Crimson Tide owned a 46-30 advantage in the paint and 15-4 in second-chance points.
"The first half when things got really hard for us, we took too much on our shoulders individually, tried to make a lot of one-on-one plays, and it backfired on us," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "In the second half, we shared the ball better, and I thought we really played good offense."
Ball State finished just 3-of-12 from 3-point range and didn't make its first trey until Ishmael El-Amin connected on one with 12:54 to play.
Tevin Mack led Alabama with 20 points and knocked down 5-of-9 from 3-point range. He entered the game just 1-of-13 from beyond the arc. Donta Hall added 12 points and 12 rebounds for the Crimson Tide.
"Our defense wasn't tough enough in the second half," Whitford said. "We scored the ball well enough to make a run, but it was too easy for them. It was a frustrating game for us, and I thought we let that frustration impact us on the defensive side."
Coach Whitford breaks down today's performance in the first half versus the second half in the loss to Alabama ... pic.twitter.com/hhkLUUFGZY
— Ball State Men's Basketball (@BallStateMBB) November 16, 2018
K.J. Walton and Tayler Persons working the break. Cardinals looking to cut into this deficit early in the second half. pic.twitter.com/q0AqdKsXo8
— Ball State Men's Basketball (@BallStateMBB) November 16, 2018
Kyle Mallers giving up his body, leading to a Brachen Hazen bucket. Cardinals still fighting but trailing 54-35 with 12:00 to play against Alabama. pic.twitter.com/jqh12LUbVR
— Ball State Men's Basketball (@BallStateMBB) November 16, 2018
Team Stats
BSU
UA
FG%
.449
.508
3FG%
.250
.368
FT%
.636
.667
RB
31
35
TO
15
14
STL
5
4
Game Leaders
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
11
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
5
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballC
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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