The defensive department secures a thrilling win over the Broncos

MUNCIE, Ind. The Ball State men’s basketball team returned to the friendly grounds of Worthen Arena for a Mid-American Conference showdown with Western Michigan. Coleman vase led the way with 22 points as the Cardinals downed the Broncos 71-70 on Tuesday.

For the first time since the 2010-11 season, Ball State has started the campaign with a 13-5 record. The Cardinals improved to 13-5 and 4-1 in the MAC, while the Broncos fell to 6-12 overall and 2-3 in conference action.

“Thanks to the crowd,” said the head coach Michael Lewis. “They played a huge role tonight with their energy and noise. I love it. The students were fantastic. We’re trying to play hard, compete and put out a product that the fans appreciate. They need to know how much we appreciate them coming out and supporting the team. There’s excitement going on, our our job is to keep it going. It was a tough game. I thought Western Michigan competed really hard and was well prepared. Norman got going and is as advertised. Defensively late, we got some big stops and really competed. That last possession, keeping the ball out of Norman’s hands was huge. You have to be able to win games when you’re not playing your best. You have to be able to protect your home court.”

Coleman has scored in double figures in 16 of 18 games this season after his 22 points. He added a game-high seven assists, a game-high four steals, dished out a team-high eight rebounds and had no turnovers. Payton Sparks dropped 14 points with eight rebounds and one block. Demarius Jacobs recorded 10 points, three assists, one block and one steal. Basheer Jihad also tied a team-high eight rebounds.

The game got off to a hot start for both teams as neither team missed a shot in the first 2:43 of the game. The Cardinals stretched things out a bit with a 10-2 run to take a 16-8 lead with 13:27 left in the opening period.

The Broncos responded with a 12-2 run that spanned 4:08 to lead 20-18 with 9:19 left in the break. Ball State closed the first half with a 13-9 run, capped by Coleman’s amazing corner 3-pointer. BSU led 31-29 at halftime.

WMU started swinging in the second half, opening with a 7-3 run. Coleman knocked down a jumper, got fouled and converted an and-1 to give the Cardinals a 37-36 lead with 16:49 left in regulation. Sparks charged into the attack, which led to a fast break. Coleman made a phenomenal pass on the back kick Jaylin Sellers who hammered it home.

Lamar Norman Jr. got hot and knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to give WMU a 42-41 lead with 14:46 on the clock. It was a back-and-forth battle over the next 4:23 that saw four lead changes and two ties. The game was tied 52-52 with 9:39 left in the game.

After the Broncos hit a 3-pointer, the Cardinals responded with a 10-0 run that put BSU up 62-55. WMU was able to rally back thanks to an 11-4 run that made it 66-66 with 2:20 left in the game.

The Broncos took a 70-68 lead with 49 seconds left in the game. Mickey Pearson Jr. cut towards the basket and received a great pass from Coleman. Pearson went for a drive, cleared and was fouled. He had ice in his veins and used an and-1 opportunity to put Ball State up 71-70 with 35 seconds left.

The Cardinals turned up the intensity on defense and were stiff as it prevented the Broncos from recording a green basket.

Ball State dominated the scoring and beat Western Michigan 42-20. BSU also used a 20-8 advantage in turnovers.

As a team, WMU was able to shoot a perfect 17-of-17 from the free throw line. Norman scored a game-high 31 points and added six rebounds and four assists. Markeese Hastings had 12 points and nine rebounds. Titus Wright grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.

Ball State returns to action on Friday, Jan. 20 for a showdown with Kent State on CBS Sports Network. The tip-off is scheduled for 6:30 p.m

For general information and season ticket information, click here or call 1-888-BSU-TICKET (756-285-1474).

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