INDIANAPOLIS - Ball State University's men's basketball team was held to its lowest scoring total since 1957 as No. 14 Butler University rolled to a 65-41 victory.
The Cardinals (3-5) shot 28.6 percent from the field in the first half, while the Bulldogs (10-0) shot 10-of-21 from the field and 4-of-9 from the 3-point range in the first half to take a 35-17 lead at halftime.
During this season, Ball State has scored no fewer than 17 points.
"They are a very good team, a very very very very good team," Ball State coach Ronny Thompson said. "They are balanced; they share the ball; they make very very very very good decisions."
The Bulldogs were held to their third-lowest scoring total of the season, shooting 40 percent from the field, but were able to maintain their undefeated season.
"They do with their offense what we try to do with our defense," Thompson said. "They frustrate you with their offense. They have five ball-handlers on the floor at all times, they make good decisions, they play off each other. They're a good team."
The Cardinals are among the worst shooting teams in the country. Those shooting woes continued with 14-of-47 from the field, 29.8 percent, including 2-of-14 from beyond the arch. The Cardinals have failed to shoot above 43 percent from the field this season.
In addition, this was the fewest amount of points Ball State has scored in a game since the team lost 58-41 to Dayton University in 1957.
Anthony Newell was the lone Cardinal to finish the game with more than 10 points, finishing 4-of-10 from the field with 11 points.
"I thought Butler played good defense, I thought we didn't hit shots," Thompson said. "No one presses their game. They take what you give them, they make you pay."
Leading the way for the Bulldogs was Mike Green, who scored 21 points while collecting six rebounds.
"Mike Green is the best point guard we've played against all year," Thompson said. "It's not even close."
The loss is the worst of the season for the Cardinals, and ties the worst defeat to Butler since 1972. While the schools have played 98 times since 1924 and are less than an hour apart, both sides down-played the importance of the game.
"You can try to make it into one of those rivalry games," Mills said. "But at the end of the day you want to win the game no matter who it is."
Defensively, Ball State brought full-court pressure to the Bulldogs early in the game. The Cardinals forced 11 turnovers, the lowest total of the season.
"It a tough job trying to pressure us up the floor," Green said.
Four of the Cardinals' five loses have been to ranked teams. Ball State will play another undefeated, top 25-ranked team when they face Oklahoma State University on Saturday in San Diego.
"It's obviously going to be frustrating with the way things are going right now," senior Skip Mills said. "Today was just frustrating the entire game."
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