by Michael Lewis said he did not believe in moral victories after Ball State men’s basketball fell to UMass 79-71 Saturday afternoon.
But following the team’s fourth-straight Mid-American Conference (MAC) loss, the fourth-year Cardinals’ coach indicated that the program is improving even in defeat.
“I’m proud of how we are competing with the roster we have right now … We’ve had that fight all year,” Lewis said. “I was really proud of the effort and our overall attention to detail … I thought we played well, [but I’m] not happy with the result.”
The contest was the first time the Cardinals had played in Amherst, Massachusetts, since the Minutemen joined the Mid-American Conference (MAC) ahead of the 2025-26 campaign.
Coming into the game, both teams were looking for their first conference win. But the start of the game showcased struggles as neither the Cardinals (4-12, 0-4 MAC) nor the Minutemen (10-7, 1-4) had much luck putting points on the board.
Ball State only shot 37.9 percent (11-for-29) during the first half, while UMass was 44 percent (11-for-25) from the field. With the limited scoring plays, both the Cardinals and Minutemen battled in other areas to keep each other in the game.
Rebounding became important as Ball State only secured six offensive rebounds throughout the game, while UMass managed nine. In total, the Minutemen recorded 36 total boards to the Cardinals’ 28.
“I can’t really question their effort,” Lewis said. “There are some other things that I can question, but effort with this group has not really been one of them.”
At the halftime break, the Cardinals trailed 28-25. But the second half is where UMass broke the game open.
It started when UMass shot free throws at the 12:50 mark. On a missed foul shot, the Minutemen were able to get the offensive rebound. The ball was passed to senior guard Marcus Banks Jr., who drained a 3-pointer to give UMass a seven-point lead. A few minutes later, the Minutemen led 50-40.
Lewis said he began to see bad habits resurface for Ball State.
“Those are the things that we just can’t do when you’re in the position that we’re in right now,” Lewis said.
But even though the Cardinals trailed by double digits, the fight Lewis said he was proud of remained for Ball State. Redshirt sophomore guard Davion Hill finished the game with 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting. He also delivered from the 3-point line as he was 4-for-7 on the night.
Lewis said he has been working with Hill throughout the season, and that a performance like this indicates what he can be for the Cardinals.
“I thought he played within himself for the most part. He’s a kid that I have a lot of belief in,” Lewis said. “I’m coaching every aspect of that kid’s life. I coach how he walks through the door, how he enters huddles and how he speaks. I’m coaching every detail because of the belief that I have in him and what I think he can become.”
Another note was that Ball State’s communication seemed to improve throughout the game. Lewis said it was ‘the best of the season’ as his team finished the game with 15 assists.
Despite the positives and the Cardinals cutting into the UMass lead multiple times in the final two minutes, the Minutemen never let Ball State get within five points.
The victory marked the Minutemen’s first win as a MAC representative. UMass was led by senior forward Leonardo Bettiol with 20 points. Banks followed with 17, while senior forward Daniel Hankins-Sanfori had a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Behind Hill, Ball State received 12 points from both freshman center Preston Copeland and junior guard Armoni Zeigler.
Lewis said that this group is pretty resilient when it comes to the winless MAC streak, maybe even ‘too resilient.’
“They know the position we’re in. They know where our roster situation is, and they show up every day to work. I appreciate that,” he said. “We’ve gotten better, and we’ve taken steps.
But it just has not been able to equate to winning … I know what my frustration level is, but I got to make sure that I don’t allow my frustration to bleed on to them.”
When asked how Lewis keeps his own irritation away from the team, he said it comes down to what is happening behind closed doors.
But because of the Cardinals’ efforts, he cannot complain.
“You’re coaching these players, [and] they’re working. They show up for you, and you pour into them,” he said. “It’s a fun group to work with. It can be frustrating sometimes because it takes us a little bit to pick some things up … [We had] some drastic changes that we wanted to get into the game tonight, and they were able to make those changes and carry them out. So we took a big step.”
Ball State will head back on the road as they next face Akron Tuesday, Jan. 13. The game is set to begin at 7 p.m.
Contact Zach Carter via email at zachary.carter@bsu.edu, zachcarter039@gmail.com or via X @ZachCarter85.
