Central Michigan University
Ball State
Cardinals Nip Chippewas, 63-60
2/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 15, 2006
MOUNT PLEASANT -- Central Michigan found itself in another tight game down the stretch at home and once again the Chippewas couldn't pull through as Ball State nipped CMU by a 63-60 count on Wednesday night in Rose Arena.
Sefton Barrett gave CMU a 57-56 lead on a pair of free throws with 4:12 remaining but Ball State ripped off a 6-0 run that was capped by a Jalon Perryman dunk making it 62-57 in favor of the Cardinals with 2:36 left.
CMU got just three free throws after that and Chris Kellermann's potential game-tying three-point attempt at the buzzer was off the mark after BSU freshman Maurice Acker split a pair of free throws with 15 seconds left.
"When your margin of error is small, every play is a big play," CMU coach Jay Smith said. "It was another case of us battling a team down the stretch. It's disappointing because we took care of the ball and made our free throws."
The win was Ball State's first conference road victory of the season as the Cardinals improved to 9-13 overall, 5-9 in the MAC. CMU has now dropped seven straight and stands 3-19 overall, 1-13 in the MAC heading into Saturday's nonconference game against Morehead State (2 p.m.).
In the first half it was a game of runs as the lead swung back and forth. CMU held a four-point lead five minutes in before Ball State went on a 13-2 run. The Cardinals then led by eight, 31-23, with 4:04 left before the break but the Chippewas went on a 10-1 run to close the half as Giordan Watson drained a three-pointer with four seconds left to give CMU a 33-32 advantage heading into the locker room.
The second half had five ties before Barrett gave CMU its last lead on the free throws with just over four minutes left. After that, though, the Chippewas couldn't get baskets or breaks in the end. An inadvertent whistle by the referees with 56 seconds left kept possession with Ball State on "alternating possessions/jump ball" following a potential BSU shot clock violation. The Cardinals were leading at the time, 62-59.
That three-point margin would hold in the end as each team split a pair of free throws with under 30 seconds left.
Barrett led the Chippewas with his fourth double-double of the season, a 17-point, 11-rebound effort. He finished 9-for-11 from the line. Watson added 13 points and seven assists and Eddie Spencer tallied 11 points.
Justin Blevins had a solid all-around effort with eight points, four rebounds, and career highs of five steals and three blocks.
The Cardinals also had three players hit double figures with Jalon Perryman posting a game-high 18, D'Andre Peyton 16 and Skip Mills 13.
Key to BSU's victory was a 42-26 advantage on the boards and a 45 percent field goal mark to CMU's 33 percent.
The Chippewas more than doubled the Cardinals free throw attempts as CMU was 22-for-31 (.710) to BSU's 10-for-15 (.667). CMU forced 19 turnovers while committing just 11.
NOTES:
- Ball State won the first meeting in Muncie by 27 points while outrebounding CMU by 18 boards (CMU's largest rebounding deficit this season). This game was decided by just three points but CMU was still outrebounded by 16 which tied for second-highest deficit of the season (Michigan).
- CMU's 11 turnovers were its second lowest total of the season (10 vs. Wisconsin-Green Bay). The Chippewas had just three miscues in the second half.
- Sefton Barrett has now led the Chippewas in scoring in each of the last four games.
- Sefton Barrett went to the line 11 times (made nine) marking the fourth time this season he has attempted at least 10 free throws.
- Giordan Watson dished out seven assists in the game. It marks the eighth straight game he's had at least five assists. He now has 98 assists on the season which matches his freshman year total last season. Watson needs 31 more over in the season's final games (six minimum depending on MAC Tournament) to join the CMU top 10 list.
- Freshman Jon Yeazel had five points in 17 minutes. His point total was one shy of his career high of six at Dayton.
- In the last five games, Sefton Barrett is averaging 18.8 points and 9.0 rebounds while shooting .500 from the floor.
- CMU's seven-game losing skid matches its longest of the season. CMU snapped the earlier one with a road win at Buffalo on Jan. 21.
- CMU's game on Saturday is a part of the BracketBusters event. CMU is 2-0 in games that feature the wildcard scheduling of the BracketBusters weekend. The Chippewas defeated Evansville in 2004 and Cleveland State in 2005. Both previous matchups were home games for CMU as well.
