After Toledo cut Ball State's 13-point lead down to seven in the final minutes of Sunday's game, the Cardinals realized their defense had lost its focus.
Heading into the final four minutes, Ball State University began to make defensive plays that resulted in fast breaks and easy scoring opportunities for its offense.
It was the first time this season that the Cardinals have held a small lead heading into the final stages of a game and come up with a win. They beat Toledo 69-56.
Players and coaches have said before that the team's late-game collapses were due to players becoming fatigued. Coach Tim Buckley and his staff tried to do a better job of fixing that problem on Sunday.
"The staff did a good job of rotating guys in and out to keep them more fresh for the end of the game, which is where we've had trouble finishing," Buckley said.
After cutting Ball State's lead to a 56-49 advantage, Toledo had trouble getting the ball past the perimeter without a Cardinal picking off the pass or knocking the ball out of bounds. Ball State's defense allowed only two Toledo baskets the rest of the way.
"If a team makes a run at you, you got to come back at them," junior Skip Mills said. "It was just a battle of will."
Ball State (7-10 overall, 3-6 Mid-American Conference West) played aggressively by taking the ball inside the perimeter and not relying on outside shooting. The team shot a season-low six 3-pointers and the Cards ended the game shooting 52 percent from the field. Toledo coach Stan Joplin said his team didn't do a good job defending Ball State from anywhere on the court.
"I thought our defense didn't have a lot to be desired," Joplin said. "We gave up a lot of easy baskets."
The Cardinals trailed for the first eight minutes of the game until freshman Maurice Acker drained a 3-pointer from the right wing. The shot gave Ball State a one-point lead and Toledo never regained control.
Ball State's offense benefited from the team sharing the ball more than usual. For the second time in three games, four Cardinals scored in double digits, including a game-high 18 points from Mills and season-high 12 points from junior Chris Ames.
"I thought we attacked," Buckley said. "Guys got into the paint and they made good decisions, whether it was to score the ball or to drop it off to the big guys."
Junior Charles Bass played only two minutes after he was smacked in the face by a Toledo defender. He came out of the game immediately and watched the rest of the game from the bench.
"I think he would have been available to go ahead and play," Buckley said. "But I thought that Pat [Nelson] and Tom [Howland] were doing an outstanding job of keeping the ball out of the post."
Toledo has had particular trouble playing in Worthen Arena. They have lost 12 of its last 13 contests in Muncie.
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