Tuesday, January 8
Muncie, Ind.
7:00 PM ET
Ball State University
82
vs
84
Eastern Michigan
1
2
OT 1
OT 2
F
Eastern Mich.
34
31
8
11
84
Ball St.
32
33
8
9
82
Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services
Eastern Michigan Outlasts Ball State in Double Overtime, 84-82
January 08, 2019 | Men's Basketball
Cardinals see four-game winning streak snapped despite double-doubles from Teague, Moses
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Eastern Michigan's Elijah Minnie hit a 3-pointer from the left corner with 7 seconds remaining in regulation to force overtime Tuesday against host Ball State. The Eagles never trailed in either of the two overtimes and found a way to pull out an 84-82, double-overtime victory over the Cardinals in Worthen Arena.
Eastern Michigan (7-8, 1-1 MAC), the preseason MAC West Division favorite, had not played up to its potential this season but put it all together Tuesday. Ball State (10-5, 1-1) saw its four-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in the past 11 games.
Eastern Michigan led by as many as four points in the first overtime, but Austin Nehls came through in the clutch with a wide open 3-pointer in front of the Ball State bench with 1.2 seconds left to force a second overtime at 73-all.
The second extra session saw ties at 78, 80 and 82 before EMU took the lead for good on a pair of Paul Jackson free throws with 17.7 seconds on the clock. On its final possession, Ball State couldn't get a good look. Trey Moses wound up with the ball as the clock ticked down, and his 3-pointer hit the back of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor.
The Cardinals missed seven free throw attempts over the two overtimes and 15 for the game, a season-high.
"The two teams really fought hard," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "I thought Eastern really came ready to play, and I give them great credit. We weren't our best, particularly to start the game, but I thought our effort and toughness down the stretch was great. We fought. We put ourselves in position to win; we just couldn't quite get over the line."
Eastern Michigan led throughout much of the first half thanks to hitting its first five 3-point attempts. After the Eagles stretched the lead to 29-21, Ball State slowly started to find its footing against the EMU zone. A Zach Gunn 3-pointer a second before the halftime buzzer cut the deficit to two points, 34-32.
Ball State put together a 10-0 run midway through the second half to jump out in front, 47-40. The Cardinals held off the Eagles for the rest of regulation until Minnie's 3-pointer in the final seconds. Taylor Persons, who hit three game-winning shots a year ago, missed a 3-pointer at the horn.
Tahjai Teague led all players with a career-high 28 points and scored 10 straight for Ball State during one stretch in the second half. Trey Moses scored his 1,000th career point in the first half and finished with 16 on the night.
Teague (28 points, 14 rebounds) and Moses (16 points, 10 assists) both posted double-doubles. It was the first career points/assists double-double for Moses, who owns 20 of the points/rebounds variety in his career.
Persons added eight assists for the Cardinals, who assisted on 23 of their 29 makes in the game and recorded 22 of them on their first 24 field goals.
Minnie netted a personal-best six 3-pointers on the way to posting a team-high 25 points for EMU. Three other Eagles finished in double figures, including James Thompson IV with his fifth double-double of the season (18 points, 19 rebounds). Both players were preseason All-MAC West Division selections.
Ball State is back in action this Saturday, Jan. 12, with another home game in Worthen Arena against Ohio. The game will air on ESPN+ at noon, as the first game of a men's/women's doubleheader against the Bobcats.
Eastern Michigan (7-8, 1-1 MAC), the preseason MAC West Division favorite, had not played up to its potential this season but put it all together Tuesday. Ball State (10-5, 1-1) saw its four-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in the past 11 games.
Eastern Michigan led by as many as four points in the first overtime, but Austin Nehls came through in the clutch with a wide open 3-pointer in front of the Ball State bench with 1.2 seconds left to force a second overtime at 73-all.
The second extra session saw ties at 78, 80 and 82 before EMU took the lead for good on a pair of Paul Jackson free throws with 17.7 seconds on the clock. On its final possession, Ball State couldn't get a good look. Trey Moses wound up with the ball as the clock ticked down, and his 3-pointer hit the back of the rim and fell harmlessly to the floor.
The Cardinals missed seven free throw attempts over the two overtimes and 15 for the game, a season-high.
Austin Nehls with ice water in his veins!!!
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) January 9, 2019
We're headed to a second overtime here at Worthen Arena!#ChirpChirp | #WeFly | #Clutch | #BSUvsEMU pic.twitter.com/0xTQxetxm5
"The two teams really fought hard," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "I thought Eastern really came ready to play, and I give them great credit. We weren't our best, particularly to start the game, but I thought our effort and toughness down the stretch was great. We fought. We put ourselves in position to win; we just couldn't quite get over the line."
Eastern Michigan led throughout much of the first half thanks to hitting its first five 3-point attempts. After the Eagles stretched the lead to 29-21, Ball State slowly started to find its footing against the EMU zone. A Zach Gunn 3-pointer a second before the halftime buzzer cut the deficit to two points, 34-32.
That's the way to end a half!
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) January 9, 2019
Zach Gunn send us to the break with the DEEEEP 3-ball. Cards cut the EMU lead to two at the intermission.#ChirpChirp | #WeFly | #BSUvsEMU pic.twitter.com/E2O1q5VyF0
Ball State put together a 10-0 run midway through the second half to jump out in front, 47-40. The Cardinals held off the Eagles for the rest of regulation until Minnie's 3-pointer in the final seconds. Taylor Persons, who hit three game-winning shots a year ago, missed a 3-pointer at the horn.
Tahjai Teague led all players with a career-high 28 points and scored 10 straight for Ball State during one stretch in the second half. Trey Moses scored his 1,000th career point in the first half and finished with 16 on the night.
Teague (28 points, 14 rebounds) and Moses (16 points, 10 assists) both posted double-doubles. It was the first career points/assists double-double for Moses, who owns 20 of the points/rebounds variety in his career.
Persons added eight assists for the Cardinals, who assisted on 23 of their 29 makes in the game and recorded 22 of them on their first 24 field goals.
Minnie netted a personal-best six 3-pointers on the way to posting a team-high 25 points for EMU. Three other Eagles finished in double figures, including James Thompson IV with his fifth double-double of the season (18 points, 19 rebounds). Both players were preseason All-MAC West Division selections.
Ball State is back in action this Saturday, Jan. 12, with another home game in Worthen Arena against Ohio. The game will air on ESPN+ at noon, as the first game of a men's/women's doubleheader against the Bobcats.
"Two teams really played hard. Eastern Michigan really came ready to play, and I give them great credit."
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) January 9, 2019
Coach Whitford on tonight's double-overtime loss to EMU ... pic.twitter.com/pKlnRvs0HI
.@Treymoses24 talks about surpassing the 1,000 point mark for his career in tonight's game ... pic.twitter.com/V6F4Tt3k3Z
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) January 9, 2019
Tayler Persons breaks down the Cardinals' end-of-game possessions and the difficulty of executing against Eastern Michigan's 2-3 zone ... pic.twitter.com/hfhw246ZjW
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) January 9, 2019
Team Stats
Eastern Mich.
Ball St.
FG%
.500
.446
3FG%
.615
.360
FT%
.750
.500
RB
39
38
TO
19
15
STL
10
10
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
28
FGM
11
3FGM
0
FTM
6
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
0
FTM
4
Pts
11
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
C
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