One could have forgiven Ball State University men's basketball coach Billy Taylor for thinking he had stumbled into the movie "Groundhog Day" while watching his team play Saturday night.
For the fourth game in a row, Ball State fell behind early, stormed back to be competitive but could not get a victory. This time, it was Valparaiso University that held off the Cardinals, by a 71-58 margin.
The loss sent Ball State to its first 0-6 start in 84 years.
However, for the first time this season, Ball State outrebounded an opponent, posting a 37-32 edge against the Crusaders.
"There were a lot of positives from this game, just not the outcome," Taylor said in a press release.
Valparaiso controlled the first half of play by shooting 47 percent from the field to Ball State's 29 percent and took a 13-point advantage into the locker room.
The Cardinals whittled the lead down to as low as four but Valparaiso used a 3-point barrage to stave off Ball State's run.
Valparaiso attempted 31 3-pointers in the game and made 13, while Ball State was 0 for 16 from beyond the arc.
"We need intensity and focus on defense," Taylor said in the press release. "Hopefully this team is learning that at this level you can't ever relax on defense."
Valparaiso shot 46 percent from the field for the game to Ball State's 41 percent.
Three Cardinals tied to lead the team in scoring, all freshmen. Malik Perry, Melvin Goins and Rashaun McLemore each had 12 points to lead Ball State.
Senior guard Peyton Stovall and junior guard Laron Frazier posted eight and nine points respectively. The game marked the second in a row that Ball State has had five players score seven points or more. The Cardinals had not managed to achieve that mark in any of their first four games.
"I liked the offensive balance we had with three players in double figures," Taylor said in the press release. "We did a lot of good things, but we have to put it all together."
Ball State will continue a five-game road trip Wednesday night when they face Purdue University in West Lafayette.
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