Teague Keys Rally as Cards Come Back versus Top Canadian Squad

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Tahjai Teague scored 21 points and capped Ball State's 10-0 run to start the fourth quarter in Thursday's 68-65 victory over one of Canada's top programs at Banco Nacional Arena.

The Cardinals trailed the University of Ottawa by as many as 12 points in the first half and rallied from eight down after three quarters. Lucas Kroft's steal and free throws in the closing seconds sealed the victory and a 2-0 start on the Costa Rica trip. The teams will meet again Friday.

"(Ottawa was) a very good test for us. That's clear," Ball State head coach James Whitford said. "They're very well coached. They're very organized. I thought they executed really well, and they play a different style. It's different than last night. Each one of those is challenging, especially early in the year."

Gallery: (8/1/2019) MBB vs. Ottawa (Gm. 1)

Less than 24 hours after a convincing victory over Costa Rica Select, Ball State found itself in a hole Thursday, trailing 22-10 early in the second quarter. Ishmael El-Amin scored 13 of his 15 points in the first half to keep the Cardinals in the game before foul trouble sidelined him for most of the third quarter.

Still, the Cardinals rallied to within one before Ottawa responded and pushed its lead to 50-42 entering the fourth quarter. That's when Ball State really turned it on.

Miryne Thomas drew the Cardinals even, and then a pair of Teague free throws put BSU on top 52-50 with just under 7 minutes to play. It was back-and-forth from there with Ball State making all the plays it needed to in order to stay on top.

There was a fastbreak dunk from Teague, a tough bucket in the lane from Kroft, and ultimately Kroft's steal with Ottawa trailing by just one and inbounding underneath its own basket with 8 seconds left. Kroft's two ensuing free throws gave him 10 points for the game.

Thomas, who sat out last season as a transfer, saw his first action in a BSU uniform. He overcame a slow start offensively to help key the Cardinals' comeback, combining with Teague for seven steals on the night. The Cardinals turned 19 Ottawa turnovers into 26 points to negate a poor shooting night from beyond the arc.

Coach Whitford offers praise for Ottawa and the challenge they provided tonight. These teams will do it all over again tomorrow night. pic.twitter.com/QuX89vGn8B
— Ball State Basketball (@BallStateMBB) August 2, 2019

"We had to dig our way back," Whitford said. "I thought our togetherness and our effort were good, and I thought Miryne and Tahj really made some great hustle plays down the stretch. Miryne had a couple really big plays. He struggled early, but he really provided a burst for us down the stretch."

Whitford is changing up the Cardinals' lineups and rotations in each of the three games this week in order to fully evaluate his 14-player roster. Thursday's starting lineup featured Luke Bumbalough, El-Amin, Kyle Mallers, Thomas and Teague.

The Cardinals will meet Ottawa again Friday in their third and final game in Costa Rica. The game will tip at 4 p.m. in San Jose (6 p.m. ET).

To keep up with the Cardinals throughout the trip, follow the team on Twitter and Instagram, and visit the men's basketball page at ballstatesports.com.

Cardinals Visit Holy Spirit Orphanage
Earlier in the day, the Cardinals visited San Jose's Holy Spirit Orphanage. The team hung out with young children, kicking around soccer balls, blowing bubbles, joining them at the mission's zoo, and sharing smiles and laughs. Here is a look ...

Gallery: (8/1/2019) MBB at Holy Spirit Orphanage

Teague Keys Rally as Cards Come Back versus Top Canadian Squad

Players Mentioned

Luke Bumbalough

Ishmael El-Amin

Lucas Kroft

Kyle Mallers

Tahjai Teague

Miryne Thomas

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