Ball State Falls to Akron on Tuesday - BallStateSports.com

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1/14/2022 | 6 p.m.

CBS Sports

AKRON, Ohio – The Ball State men's basketball team lost a tough one on the road at Akron on Tuesday, 84-74. Payton Sparks recorded his first double-double behind a career-high 23 points and 10 rebounds. The Cardinals fell to 7-8 overall and 2-2 in Mid-American Conference play, while the Zips improved to 9-4 overall and 2-1 in the MAC.
 
Sparks produced his first career double-double with a career-high in points along with a team-high 10 rebounds. Miryne Thomas posted 12 points behind a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and 2-for-2 from 3-point range. Thomas tied for a team-high two steals and added three boards. Demarius Jacobs chipped in with 10 points and tied for a game-high six assists. Luke Bumbalough rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points. Tyler Cochran brought down six rebounds, second on the team, and added nine points.
 
After the Zips scored the game's opening points, the Cardinals responded with a 7-3 run that ended with 15:00 left in the first half. During the run, Sparks accounted for five of the points, while Thomas picked up the other two.
 
The two teams battled back-and-forth for the remainder of the first half. After the Zips made two free throws and pulled within one, 34-33, Jacobs made a running layup with time expiring to give BSU a 36-33 lead at the break.
 
Thomas got the second half started with a steal and a fast-break dunk. The Cardinals opened the second stanza on a 12-7 run, led by Thomas with seven points.
 
Momentum started to shift with 15:47 left in the second as Akron went on a 13-0 run, which led to a 53-48 lead with 11:47 on the clock. Jacobs knocked down a 3-pointer with 7:22 left in regulation and pulled the Cardinals within three, 61-58. The Zips added a 7-0 run and extended their lead to 68-58 with 4:52 left.
 
In the remaining 4:52, the two squads each scored 16 points. During that time, Sparks notched 13 of BSU's points.
 
The Zips were led by Xavier Castaneda with a career-high 29 points. Bryan Trimble added 19 points along with three rebounds. Enrique Freeman tallied 14 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, for a double-double. Mikal Dawson finished with 10 points. Aziz Bandaogo blocked a game-high two shots.
 
Second-chance points turned out to play a big factor in the game, as Akron had 24 compared to Ball State's nine points. The Cardinals did outscore the Zips 40-34 in the paint.
 
Ball State returns to the friendly confines of Worthen Arena on Friday, Jan. 14, for a nationally televised contest against Buffalo. Tip is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
From the Coach – Head Coach James Whitford
"I thought they made a lot of good individual plays. When they went on their run, I thought our composure defensively changed. We lost a defensive toughness. They had guys that had good nights and you live with that. We had defensive breakdowns and that's the part we can control.  They had 24 second-chance points. Some of them were long rebounds that are hitting the floor and those are the ones we got to be able to get. We could have won this game. We left points at the free-throw line, and we left points on the glass. I thought the foul trouble had a lot to do with our lineups tonight. We've come a long way and have gotten a lot better defensively."
 
From the Student-Athlete – Freshman Center #5 Payton Sparks
"We started the game really well. We played well defensively and played together on offense. I think we just have to finish games. We need to keep playing together at the end. We just have to keep playing hard. We know we can finish games. We got to take it game-by-game and not do it every other game. We're going to get there though. This is just the beginning of the MAC and by the end of it we'll get there. It feels good, but we didn't win so it stings a little."
 
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