In his first game since being reinstated from a suspension for a violation of team rules, Ball State point guard Zavier Turner scored a game-high 20 points in a 61-54 loss at Eastern Illinois.
“We needed [Turner to score],” Ball State head coach James Whitford said. “He’s a great competitor. I thought he did a good job.”
After missing two games, Turner began the game on the bench, entering with 16:02 remaining in the first half.
Turner buried a three-pointer on his first possession, pushing Ball State’s lead to 8-0.
The sophomore played 31 minutes and added a team-high four assists, and he also finished the game with six rebounds to go with his 20-point outing.
A six-to-nothing Panther run, which coincided with Turner resting on the bench, made the score 13-10 prompting Whitford to call a timeout.
Turner was subbed back in, and junior Bo Calhoun and freshman Sean Sellers hit back-to-back baskets, pushing the lead back to eight at 18-10.
Both teams struggled offensively in the first 20 minutes, with the Cardinals holding a 24-18 advantage at halftime.
Ball State’s offense struggled all night, with the team finishing 17-of-56 from the field and going 14-21 from the foul line. The Cardinals hit just six three-pointers on 21 attempts.
Unable to put the ball in the basket early in the second half, the Cardinals saw the Panthers open with a 14-2 run, taking a 32-26 lead.
Ball State answered with a 12-2 run of its own, receiving a spark from fifth-year senior center Matt Kamieniecki. Kamieniecki contributed on both sides of the ball, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, two steals and a block.
The lead was short-lived, however, as the Panthers took their largest lead of the night at 51-40, ultimately winning by seven points. Ball State was outscored 43-30 in the second half.
“When you look at [Eastern Illinois’] numbers in the second half, they scored almost every time,” Whitford said.
With the loss, the Cardinals fall to 2-3 on the season.
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