The men's basketball team ended a five-game losing streak this past week with a pair of Mid-American Conference wins at home, including Saturday's 95-61 whipping of Toledo, improving its record to 5-6 overall and 2-1 in the MAC.
Dec. 20: IUPUI 78, Ball State 60
The host Jaguars opened the game with a 15-2 run and never looked back, limiting the Cardinals to 6-of-32 shooting in the first half in building a 36-22 lead. IUPUI shot 36 second-half free throws, sinking 29, to keep Ball State at bay in front of a packed house of 2,000.
Senior forward Robert Owens had 14 points for the Cards in their second-straight loss. Freshman guard Skip Mills added a career-high 11. IUPUI's Odell Bradley dominated the Cards with his 23 points and 18 rebounds.
Dec. 23: Western Kentucky 78, Ball State 69
The visiting Hilltopers led wire-to-wire and held on to give Ball State its third consecutive defeat.
Junior guard Dennis Trammell tallied 24 points, Owens 14 and sophomore center Tom Howland 10. Senior forward Cam Echols grabbed 11 rebounds, but the Cardinals were outrebounded 48-33. Hilltopper center Nigel Dixon racked up 23 points and 16 boards.
Dec. 28: No. 1 Connecticut 101, Ball State 62
The top-ranked Huskies lived up to their billing in handling the Cardinals with ease at home. All-Americans Emeka Okafor (14 rebounds, five blocks) and Ben Gordon poured in 25 points each to lead Connecticut, with Denham Brown getting 20. The Huskies led 41-23 at halftime, then shot 73.5 percent in a 60-point second half.
Echols' 22 points topped Ball State, with Owens and Trammell adding 10 apiece.
Jan. 3: Kent State 70, Ball State 67
For the third straight season the Cardinals opened Mid-American Conference play with a loss, this one a close affair at Kent.
With 2:05 left in the game and the Flashes leading 63-61, Ball State coach Tim Buckley disagreed with a foul call and drew an ill-advised technical foul, allowing Kent to increase its lead to four. Both teams shot 22 of 51 from the field, but Ball State made just 13-of-22 free throws.
Trammell had 21 points, including six 3-pointers, and Owens 12, with junior forward Terrance Chapman getting eight rebounds for the Cards in their fifth-straight defeat.
Jan. 7: Ball State 76, Bowling Green 63
Five Cardinals scored in double figures as they ended their losing streak and avenged last year's opening-round defeat in the MAC Tournament.
Echols and Peyton Stovall notched 13 points apiece, Chapman and junior guard Matt McCollom 11 each, and Owens 10. Ball State committed just nine turnovers while forcing 19.
A 19-6 run by Ball State blew the game open and produced a 62-41 advantage. The lead reached 22 at one point.
Jan. 10: Ball State 95, Toledo 71
Ball State erupted for 61 points in the second half and throttled Toledo. The Cardinals shot 27 of 51 from the field, including 15 of 23 in the second half, and 36 of 43 from the free throw line. Toledo, which trailed 34-22 at halftime, worked the deficit down to nine points (54-45) before the Cards went on a 10-0 run to re-establish control.
Owens scored 19 points, and Trammell and Echols tallied 18 apiece to pace BSU against the Rockets (9-3, 3-1), as again five players scored in double figures. Echols made it a double-double with 12 rebounds, while freshman point guard Stovall added seven rebounds and five assists.
The Cards look to make it three straight Wednesday when defending conference champion Central Michigan, now minus NBA center Chris Kaman, pays a visit to Muncie.
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