Miami entered last night's game the worst scoring and shooting team in the Mid-American Conference, but it was Ball State's offensive futility that was more prevalent in Worthen Arena, as the Cardinals dropped a 62-55 game at home.
Ball State missed its first 13 shots from the field in the second half, Miami built a 10-point lead in the same stretch and the Cardinals never fully recovered in falling to 7-7 in the Mid-American Conference and 10-12 overall.
After shooting 50 percent in the first half, the Cards made just 27.6 percent after halftime, and coach Tim Buckley couldn't put a precise finger on the reason.
"I don't know. (We) didn't take it up strong, didn't stay in the shot, kind of hoped it went in, didn't take it up to finish, which has been a problem for us this year," the fourth-year coach said, rattling off the possibilities.
For Miami coach Charlie Coles, whose team improved to 9-4 in the MAC and 13-8 overall, it was a matter of the RedHawks focusing especially on Ball State's Matt McCollom and Cameron Echols.
"One of things we wanted to do -- and we'll never do again -- is keep (McCollom) off the free-throw line," Coles said, "and that's the reason we started off in a zone.
"The other thing was to try to contain Echols. We finally got him where he wasn't killing us. He hurt us in the first half."
McCollom, Ball State's leading scorer in conference play and the MAC's best free-throw shooter, attempted just four foul shots and finished with five points. Echols scorched the basket for 14 first-half points, but shot just one of eight in the second and finished with 16 points and eight rebounds -- both team-highs.
"The second half, I started putting a little more fadeaway on my shot than usual," Echols said. "Even though they were missing, Coach told me to keep shooting. I ended up with one in the second half, but that wasn't enough to help my team win. It was all me not following through with my shot."
Leading 37-33 at halftime, Miami moved ahead 43-33 before Ball State made a shot from the field. Forwards Danny Horace and Monty St. Clair stepped out to hit back-to-back 3-pointers, and two minutes later Nathan Peavy's putback produced the 10-point advantage with 10:02 remaining.
"Our first 16 shots in the second half were in the lane -- missed every one of them, so that was very frustrating," Buckley said. "We did a good job defensively to start the half, but we didn't convert anything.
"When breaking it down and evaluating it, we're getting good shots. We have to make those shots."
"I don't feel we got in rhythm in the second half," Dennis Trammell added. "We just weren't knocking down shots."
After the Cards first pulled within 43-39, they made it 51-48 with a 7-1 run as Skip Mills banged in a trey and got a 10-footer to fall with 3:05 left.
But Chet Mason, the league's best rebounding guard, tipped in a putback with 2:30 to go. Then, with the shot clock winding down, Johnson banked in a jumper from the free-throw line, making it 57-50 with one minute left.
Johnson paced the RedHawks with 16 points, while Mason had 15 to go with eight rebounds and five assists.
For Ball State, which had grabbed its second road win of the season just two days earlier, Trammell backed Echols with 12 points. Peyton Stovall chipped in eight.
"Their team is good," Coles said, "and we probably got a little lucky tonight. I mean that.
"Ball State and Miami, it always flattens out. They beat us at our place, we beat them at their place. I know they're hurting probably as bad as we were when they beat us at our place."
Hurting especially for some better shooting.
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