by Ball State mens basketball headed to Terra Haute to face the Sycamores of Indiana State. This matchup marks their 140th meeting. Indiana State came into this game leading the series in this historic matchup.
This was a game where the final score didn’t tell the entire story. Indiana State won by 18 points, but this was a much closer game throughout its entirety.
Ball State played some very physical defense to start this game. They forced nearly a 3-minute scoring drought for Indiana State in the first 10 minutes.
Indiana State struggled to shoot the ball to start the game. Through the first 10 minutes, the Sycamores shot just 3/16 in all field goal attempts.
Ball State went into the half with a 28-27 lead over the Trees. Devon Barnes led the Cardinals in scoring with 10 along with a rebound and an assist. Cam Denson put in the work on the glass by pulling down seven rebounds up to the midpoint.
Both teams took goo care of the basketball going into the half. Ball State only had three turnovers while Indiana State had six.
Long-lasting rivalries will always have its fair share of extra effort. There was no shortage of hustle in this game. Ball State was seen diving through the sideline to save a ball from going out of bounds or diving on the floor to fight for a loose ball.
“I thought (Kayden) Fish gave us some real effort,” said Ball State Head Coach Michael Lewis. ” I thought our effort level was pretty good. We just need to continue getting smarter.”
Indiana State started gaining momentum in the second half. They didn’t have a two-score lead in this game until the 14-minute mark in the second half. Which they would grow as the game continued.
Indiana State would later take a 6-point lead after Coach Lewis picked up a technical foul. The following free throws would give the Sycamores a 43-37 lead.
During the media timeout after this happened, the Ball State bench picked up another technical foul. Xavier Hall for the Trees would make all of them and give Indiana State a 45-37 lead.
In the second half, Ball State would struggle to find scoring. They would give up a 9-0 run and put themselves in a 17-point deficit at one point in the back half.
The Cardinals shot 29% in the second half to result in Indiana State winning the half 43-24. The Sycamores would go 63% from the field to make multiple big runs to keep their second-half momentum.
Coach Lewis spoke on their second-half struggles after the game.
“I felt like, in the second half, we were chasing their action,” Lewis explained. ” In the first half, we were dictating their action, but the second half, they had us chasing their tail.”
Devon Barnes led the Cardinals in scoring with 14 points, a rebound, and two assists. Next to him was Armoni Zeigler with nine points, three rebounds, and three assists.
Ball State went on to fall in this game 70-52. Indiana State has now beaten Ball State in their last four meetings.
Ball State slides to 2-3 while Indiana State raises to a 4-2 record. The Cardinals look to face Monmouth next on Friday, Nov. 28.
