Cardinals Extend Win Streak To 3 With Illinois State Win

Saturday, December 12

Muncie

7 p.m.

Ball State University

3-2,1-0MAC

Illinois State

2-3,0-0MVC

Team	1	2	F
Illinois St.	36	30	66
Ball St.	50	32	82

Photo by: Ball State Athletics

Cardinals Extend Win Streak To 3 With Illinois State Win

December 12, 2020 | Men's Basketball

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By: Ball State Athletics

MUNCIE - The Ball State men's basketball team played its most complete game of the year in an 82-66 win over Illinois State Saturday night. Ishmael El-Amin scored 20 points and Brachen Hazen had a double-double (14 points, 11 rebounds) as Ball State (3-2) extended its win streak to three games.

Ball State jumped out to a 20-9 lead early and shot 56 percent in the first half en route to a 50-36 halftime lead. The Cardinals led by double figures for most of the night and were only seriously challenged for a brief moment when Illinois State closed within 66-60. Ball State scored 12 of the game's next 18 points after that to cruise to the win.

TURNING POINT: Ball State led 20-12 in the first segment of the game, then got a quick 7-0 run that featured five points from Kani Acree and a bucket from Blake Huggins. That gave Ball State a 15-point lead and it controlled the majority of the night after that.

ILLINOIS IS A CARDINAL STATE: In eight days, Ball State has won three games over opponents from the state of Illinois. BSU claimed a 68-66 win over UIC last Saturday before going to Northern Illinois Tuesday night and winning in overtime. All three Illinois wins came over teams from different conferences: UIC (Horizon), NIU (MAC), Illinois State (Missouri Valley).

RELEASE THE BRACHEN: In his third season at Ball State, Brachen Hazen is playing his best basketball as a Cardinal. Hazen is averaging 11.7 points and 8.7 rebounds during this three-game win streak.

BALANCED ATTACK: In addition to El-Amin's 20 and Hazen's 14, Ball State got scoring from all over. Leading scorer K.J. Walton had 10 points and four steals, as Illinois State made efforts to slow down the Cardinal who was averaging 22.8 points a game. Acree added eight points and Luke Bumbalough seven as the Cards scored 80+ points for the first time this season.

STRAIGHT FROM THE HEAD COACH: "Our guys played really well. Top to bottom, that's the best we've played this year. We executed well on offense and scored 82 points. Honestly, if we made some shots, we could've scored 90-plus. We played a good game on both ends," head coach James Whitford said.

The coach also showed some Cardinal unity for the Ball State football team, which won a thrilling game earlier Saturday to clinch a berth in the conference championship game.

"What a football game! It was unbelievable. That's the biggest win around here in a long time. The determination and grit the football team has shown, really the last few years, has been unbelievable."

Illinois State (2-3) got 15 points from Dedric Boyd and 14 each from Dusan Mahorcic and Josiah Strong. Illinois State shot just five foul shots in the game, making only one.

UP NEXT: It's final exams week at Ball State, so the Cards won't play until Saturday, Dec. 19 when they travel to Indiana State. Three days after that is a road league game at Western Michigan.