BALL STATE 97, INDIANA STATE 75
WESTERN ILLINOIS 79, MIAMI 67
WESTERN MICHIGAN 93, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 85 (OT)
MARQUETTE 80, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 66
MUNCIE, Ind. – Ball State returned to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena on Saturday to post a 97-75 victory over with Indiana State. The Cardinals were led by Tyler Cochran with 15 points, as a total of five BSU players scored double-digit points.
The Cardinals improved to 3-3 on the season, while the Sycamores fell to 3-4 on the year. Ball State secured its first 20-plus point victory since March 2, 2021, when they defeated EMU by 35 points, 100-65. BSU recorded its first game with five players in double digits since December 7, 2019. BSU scored the game's first points and never relinquished the lead at any point during the remainder of the contest.
The Cardinals had five players finish with double-digit points for the first time since December 7, 2019.
Cochran finished with 15 points, nine rebounds and a team-high two steals. Miryne Thomas recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. He notched Ball State's first double-double since Tahjai Teague on March 3, 2020. Thomas also led the team with two blocked shots.
Luke Bumbalough notched 14 points and tied for a team-high five assists. Payton Sparks added 12 points and three rebounds. Demarius Jacobs closed out the double-digit scoring with 11 points.
Ball State started the game on fire and jumped out to an early 17-4 lead with 12:37 left in the first half. During the 17-4 run, the Cardinals were a perfect 3-for-3 from 3-point range. Thomas, Bumbalough and Basheer Jihad accounted for the BSU 3-pointers.
The two sides traded baskets which led to a 24-16 BSU lead with 9:25 left in the first stanza. Jacobs got in the sharp shooting for the Cardinals as he drained a 3-pointer and extended the Ball State lead to 27-16.
The Cardinals closed out the half by outscoring the Sycamores 18-10 and took a 45-26 lead into the half. At the break, BSU was 53.3 percent from long range and held ISU to 23.1 percent from deep. Ball State finished the first half shooting 45.2 percent from the field and the stout defense held Indiana State to just 25 percent from the field.
Ball State continued the second half where it left off at the end of the first. Cochran scored five of the team's seven points, as BSU opened the second half on a 7-2 run.
With 13:19 left in regulation, Indiana State hit a 3-pointer and pulled within 19 points, a deficit that ISU was unable to shrink the remainder of the game.
As a team, Ball State posted a shooting percentage of 54.5 from the field and 53.6 from behind the arc. The Cardinals took advantage of turnovers and scored 18 points off of those turnovers, including 17 fast-break points.
Micah Thomas led the Sycamores with a game-high 19 points and had the team's only steals, with two. Xavier Bledson added 15 points. Cameron Henry led ISU with seven rebounds.
The Cardinals return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 1 as they take to the road to Macomb, Illinois. Ball State is set to square off with Western Illinois.
WESTERN ILLINOIS 79, MIAMI 67
MACOMB, Ill.--Junior Dae Dae Grant scored 22 points, but it was not enough as the Miami RedHawks (5-1) dropped a 79-67 decision at Western Illinois University (5-2) on Saturday afternoon at Western Hall.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
• Back-to-back triples from senior Dalonte Brown and Grant helped Miami to a 19-15 lead with 10:04 to play in the opening half. The Leathernecks used an 11-0 run over the next six minutes to take a 26-19 advantage.
• Miami closed within three twice, both off sophomore Jackson Ames free throws, and trailed 28-26 with just over three minutes to go in the half. Western Illinois pushed its lead to 11 with three seconds remaining in the first half, but a senior Mekhi Lairy triple at the end of the half cut the RedHawk deficit to eight going into the intermission, 36-28.
• After a WIU field goal to open the second half, Miami rattled off seven unanswered to close within three by the 17:35 mark, 38-35. A jumper from senior Precious Ayah later trimmed the deficit to two and a trio of free throws from junior Myja White again put the RedHawks within two with 14:17 remaining, 46-44.
• WIU pushed its lead to double digits with just under seven minutes to play and extended its lead to 18 with just 2:33 to play. Miami was able to shrink the margin to 12 in the final minutes.
NOTES:
• In addition to Grant's 22 points, Brown and Lairy were the other RedHawks to score in double figures with 12 apiece.
• Miami limited its turnovers to five while forcing 15 Leatherneck turnovers.
• It was the first time this season Miami trailed at the half.
UP NEXT:
The RedHawks host Cincinnati at Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Millett Hall!
WESTERN MICHIGAN 93, PURDUE FORT WAYNE 85 (OT)
FORT MYERS, Fla. – Western Michigan sank a season-high 15 three-pointers and outlasted Purdue Fort Wayne to pick up a 93-85 overtime victory on Saturday at the FGCU Invitational.
Down 75-72 with a little under two minutes remaining in regulation, Western Michigan (2-4) got a basket from Markeese Hastings and a triple from Adrian Martin to move in front, 77-75, with less than 30 seconds on the clock. At the other end, Purdue Fort Wayne (3-2) tallied a pair of free throws to send the game into an extra session.
The Mastodons notched the first bucket of overtime, but WMU answered with a pair of three-pointers from Martin and Mileek McMillan to regain the edge, 83-79. After a layup cut the Western Michigan advantage to 83-81, Hastings went on a personal 5-0 run, including an old-fashioned three-point play, to put the Broncos ahead 88-81. Purdue Fort Wayne could not get any closer than five down the stretch, as WMU put the game away at the free throw line.
All 10 Broncos who saw the floor on Saturday scored at least three points, led by Martin, who went a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor and hit all six of his three-point attempts to net a career-high 20 points. Hastings tallied a career-high 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and grabbed seven rebounds. Lamar Norman Jr. scored in double-figures for the third straight game, netting 14. McMillan came close to a double-double, scoring nine points and snaring a team-high eight rebounds.
The two teams traded runs in the early going, but it was the Mastodons who built the largest advantage of the first half, 33-27. Western Michigan pulled ahead and led 40-36 at the break.
WMU built its advantage to as many as eight, 48-40, in the opening minutes of the second half, but Purdue Fort Wayne answered with an 8-0 run to even the score, 48-48, with just under 14 minutes to go. The game remained tied or with Western Michigan in front until the Mastodons overtook the Broncos, 71-70, with a little less than three minutes left in regulation.
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field for the evening. The Broncos were 34-of-57 (59.6 percent) on field goals, and nailed a season-high 15 triples on 24 tries (62.5 percent). The 15 three-pointers were two shy of the program record. WMU made 10-of-13 (76.9 percent) at the free throw line. Purdue Fort Wayne shot 34-of-64 (53.1 percent) from the floor and made eight-of-25 (32.0 percent) from beyond the arc.
The Broncos had the upper-hand on the glass, out-rebounding the Mastodons 34-20. Western Michigan also held a commanding 35-2 advantage in points from its bench.
Western Michigan concludes play at the FGCU Invitational on Sunday afternoon against Southeastern Louisiana. The Broncos and Lions are scheduled to tip at 1:30 pm
MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- Four players scored in double figures, led by 17 points from Keshawn Williams but Northern Illinois fell, 80-66, to Marquette on Saturday night at Fiserv Forum.
The Golden Eagles shot 51.9 percent (27-of-52) from the field and held a 20-9 edge from the free-throw line.
Zool Kueth added 14 points, Kaleb Thornton scored 12 points and tied a career-high with seven rebounds while Adong Makuoi chipped in 10 points.
Marquette (6-1) owned a 21-20 edge before erupting on a 12-0 run to take a 33-20 advantage
A bucket from Makuoi ignited an 8-3 burst for the Huskies, while Williams knocked in a triple and Anthony Crump added an old-fashioned three-point play as NIU trimmed the Marquette advantage to just eight. The Golden Eagles scored the final three points of the opening stanza to take a 39-28 lead into halftime.
NIU played Marquette even for the first six minutes of the second half, but back-to-back triples by the Golden Eagles increased Marquette’s lead to 56-39 with just over 12 minutes to play.
The Huskies scored the next four, but Marquette answered back with an 11-2 spurt as they went on to the victory.
Justin Lewis finished with a team-high 15 points for Marquette, Stevie Mitchell chipped in 11 points while Darryl Morsell and Tyler Kolek each added 10 points.
NIU will return home on Wednesday, Dec. 1 for the home opener against Eastern Illinois. Tip time against the Panthers is scheduled for 7 p.m.