Upcoming schedule
Dec. 17 at Marquette
Dec. 21 at Southern Illinois
Dec. 30 at James Madison
Jan. 3 vs. Oakland City
• Ball State lost to Valparaiso, 69-50
• Majok Majok held to just five points
• Team’s fourth straight loss
Ball State hoped to end a three-game losing streak against Valparaiso (6-4) Wednesday night at Worthen Arena and secure their third win of the season.
Instead, the Cardinals lost 69-50 to the Crusaders who proved to be longer and stronger. Valparaiso outscored Ball State in the paint 40-18.
The Cardinals shot 26.9 percent from the floor, often working themselves into poor shots on offense. They finished with 25 percent shooting from three-point range and 60 percent from the free throw line.
“When things went bad, it became ‘Let me get it all back right now, give me the ball, I’m going to go make a play,’” head coach James Whitford said.
Mark Alstork led the team in scoring with 11 points as Ball State lost its third and final in-state game. Senior Jesse Berry chipped in 10 points and freshman Zavier Turner had nine Wednesday night.
Turner did not start against Valparaiso for disciplinary reasons because of a missed class. Freshman Quinten Payne made the first start of his career as he filled in for his fellow freshman.
Valparaiso was led by fifth-year senior LaVonte Dority, who finished with 16 points and four rebounds. He received help in the paint from Jubril Adekoya who finished with 12 points and eight rebounds.
Adekoya was a big reason why Ball State’s all-conference center Majok Majok finished with only five points and five rebounds.
There were moments in the game where the Worthen crowd of 2,953 was largely quiet. Players were visibly exhausted at times as some were bent over with their heads in their chests.
A lot of Ball State’s possessions were forced into one-on-one matchups after the plays they ran did not work effectively. Players were caught relying on drawing fouls rather than finishing the play, which led to 14 turnovers. Ball State finished the game with eight assists total, Turner dishing out four of them.
“It just seems like everyone is trying to do their own thing and it’s hurting us,” forward Tyler Koch said.
Koch, one of six seniors on the roster, took partial responsibility for not pulling the team together in adversity.
“As it got frustrating, it got worst for us, not better,” Whitford said. “We lacked that guy that can say ‘hold up fellas, that’s not who we are.’”
Ball State will travel to take on Marquette, Southern Illinois and James Madison to round out the 2013 calendar year. The next home game is slated for Jan. 3 against Oakland City.
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