MEN'S BASKETBALL: Ball State’s loss brings it to 0-2 against in-state opponents

Highlights of Ball State’s 59-58 loss to the Butler Bulldogs on Saturday, November 25th.

Produced by Darian Philips
NewsLink Indiana Sports

In the beginning of the season, Ball State men’s basketball head coach James Whitford said the three games he had circled on his schedule were the three Indiana colleges of Indiana State, Butler and Valparaiso.

Ball State is now 0-2 after playing Indiana State and Butler. Butler (4-0) edged out Ball State 59-58 in the final seconds of Saturday’s bout, forcing the Cardinals to drop to 2-2. Indiana State defeated the Cardinals 82-73 back Nov. 9 in Terre Haute, Ind.

“I’m not losing any sleep over it,” Whitford said about losing two in-state games. “We got one more coming against Valpo and that’s going to be a good game — I don’t care if we’re playing Duke or if we’re playing Marian, again, we have to have a good practice on Monday.”

The final buzzer sounded after freshman guard Zavier Turner missed a layup in the paint that could seal the victory for the Cardinals. Instead, the ball bounced off the back of the rim and ended up in the hands of Butler’s Kameron Woods on the baseline.

“I thought it was less time on the clock than what it was,” Turner said about the final Ball State possession. “We had a play set up for Chris Bond to get a drive to the bucket, it was working all game — I thought it was less time, and that was on me.”

Bond had got inside the paint and drew fouls multiple times before the final possession. The senior forward finished the game with 14 points going 5-of-9 from the field and shooting 3-of-4 from the foul line. Bond connected on a rare 3-point attempt at the 16:16 mark of the second half to put his Cardinals up 39-29 before Butler went on a 16-5 scoring run.

Turner, who has been on a historic run for Ball State, finished with 8 points and 3 assists. Turner became the first freshman to score at least 17 points in three straight games since Jim Fields in 1975-76.

Ball State held Butler to 35.5 percent from the field Saturday, but turnovers hurt Ball State as it racked up 17 while only forcing nine.

“Defensively, that’s well enough to win,” Whitford said. “If that 17 [turnovers] is 14, then that’s a different team in the locker room.”

Ball State’s final in-state opponent is a home game against Valparaiso on Dec. 4. Ball State travels to face Utah and Cleveland State beforehand.

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