Cardinals drop sixth straight game

But, due to what coach Tim Buckley and senior Chris Williams called too much relaxation, Northern Illinois (2-2 MAC, 6-8 overall) went on an 11-0 run to retake the lead. The Cardinals were able to later re-tie the game but could not regain the advantage.

"We have gotten away from the plan," Buckley said. "Every time we've gotten the lead, we get away from what got us that lead.

"You can sense it's coming. We take three or four bad shots, then we give up three or four easy baskets. Again, I just think it's that inexperience and guys not knowing how to play in those key situations."

Williams explained that it has been the same problem that has plagued Ball State in every MAC game so far.

"Look at the last three ball games," he said. "We don't know how to close out a ball game.

"Look back at Akron: We were up five points in the second half. At Bowling Green, we were up five points in the second half. It's just something we are going to have to work on. We just can't relax. Just because we have the lead doesn't mean we are going to win the ball game. We have to make plays down the stretch," Williams said.

Heading into Saturday's game, Williams was the MAC's leading scorer, averaging more than 24 points a game. Saturday he finished with only 18 points, shooting 0 for 11 from behind the 3-point arc.

"It would have been nice to hit a couple of them," Williams said. "It really hurt us tonight. I'm usually good for making three or four threes a game. If I would have just knocked down some shots that would have been the ball game."

Buckley said Williams didn't seem to be in rhythm Saturday afternoon.

"We are going to live and die with Chris as our scorer," Buckley said. "He is one of the few scorers that we have. He didn't make them tonight. I don't think he caught the ball very much in rhythm or that he was ready to shoot."

After the game Northern Illinois coach Rob Judson was pleased about the same stretch that so disappointed Ball State.

"I am just extremely proud of our guys," Judson said. "Before the game we wrote the word 'effort' up on the board and we just wanted to come in and play with tremendous effort. "

"Ball State went up eight in the middle of the second half and we could have folded the tent but we battled back, got some stops and made some big shots," Judson said.

As the score reflects, despite allowing the Huskies to go on an 11-0 run, Ball State did not completely fold either. In fact, with 26.8 second remaining in the game, Ball State had possession of the ball and a chance to tie.

Williams fielded the inbound pass from midcourt and drove the ball into the lane, but missed a running layup. Junior Cameron Echols, who finished with a team-high 19 points, pulled in the rebound and immediately put the ball back up in the air but also fell short.

After a scramble for the ball, there was little the Cardinals could do as Northern's Rome Sanders recovered possession with approximately eight seconds remaining.