BOX SCORE
QUOTES
MUNCIE, Ind. -- Ball State held Western Michigan to 27.5 percent shooting from the field to hold on for the victory, 50-44, in front of 3,018 at Worthen Arena on Tuesday night.
The Broncos (6-11, 3-1 MAC) were trying to become only the fifth team in school to start Mid-American Conference play 4-0, but couldn't overcome the Cardinals (8-8, 3-1 MAC).
Derek Drews scored a game-high 17 points, including three three-pointers, and led the Broncos with eight rebounds, while David Kool finished with 11 points and seven rebounds as WMU made just 14 field goals and hit 6-of-22 three-pointers.
WMU's defense held its fifth-straight opponent under 40 percent shooting by limiting the Cardinals to 34.6 percent (18-52) from the field and Ball State only connected on 10-of-22 free throws.
Drews scored on a fast break layup after a no-look feed from Shawntes Gary with 10:20 to play to put Western Michigan on top, 34-32. The Cardinals answered with a 13-3 run over the next 6:21 to go up by eight, 45-37, with three minutes to play.
After an offensive rebound by Andre Ricks, Drews hit a three-pointer with 1:54 to play to cut the lead to five, 45-40, but 1:10 later Brandon Lampley hit a driving right-handed layup over LaMarcus Lowe to put BSU back up seven with 44 seconds to play. Free throws by Drews and Kool cut the lead to three with 21 seconds left, but the Cardinals hit 3-of-4 free throws to close out the Broncos.
Ball State scored the first four points of the game, but then WMU got hot with two three-pointers from Drews, one from Kool and one from Martelle McLemore to go up four, 12-8, with 12:31 to play in the half. The Cardinals cut the lead to two, but Drews hit another jumper and Kool scored on a layup to put the Broncos up six, 20-14, with 3:16 to play in the half.
Western Michigan wouldn't score again as the Cardinals scored the final five points of the first half and first four of the second half to take a three-point lead, 23-20.
The Broncos came back to regain the lead on Ricks' only triple with 13:56 to play, 27-25. Ball State scored four points to regain the lead, but then Lowe scored on an old-fashioned three-point play after a put back and Gary canned two freebies to put WMU up three, 32-29, with 11:32 to play. Eleven seconds later Laron Frazier answered with a three-pointer to set up the final 10 minutes.
Ball State limited WMU to just eight points in the paint and WMU didn't shoot a free throw for the first 21:30 of the game. WMU only turned the ball over nine times and outscored the Cardinals, 10-2, in points off turnovers.
Ball State outrebounded WMU, 43-39, including limiting the Broncos to only seven offensive rebounds. Second-chance points did end up even at six points apiece.
Lampley led BSU with 16 points, while Frazier added 10 points. Malik Perry and Jarrod Jones each had 11 rebounds for the Cardinals.
Western Michigan remains on the road at Eastern Michigan (3-15, 1-3 MAC) on Saturday at 4 p.m.
