BSU men's basketball regroups with balanced offense in 75-61 win over rival Miami (Ohio)

MUNCIE, Ind. — It wasn't always pretty, but the Cardinals got the job done in a rivalry game.

Ball State men's basketball on Saturday got back in the win column with a 75-61 home victory over Miami (Ohio), rebounding from a tough road loss that snapped its seven-game winning streak.

The first half, in particular, dazzled a lively Worthen Arena crowd as BSU went into the break up 47-30. The Cardinals suffered some foul trouble, poor shooting and defenses lapses in the final 20 minutes, losing the second half 31-28, but a late 12-2 run put the game away.

Balanced offense carried the Cardinals throughout. Four players scored 12 or more points, and two others notched nine as the team combined for 15 assists.

Ball State (12-5, 3-1 MAC) appeared motivated to set the tone early and held a 25-9 advantage through the first nine minutes. Senior guard Demarius Jacobs, who missed the entire second half at Ohio with a "mild" concussion and was cleared pregame, according to head coach Michael Lewis, looked fully healthy and scored or assisted on eight of his team's first 10 points. He finished the half with 10 points and three assists.

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Sophomore guard Jaylin Sellers, coming off arguably his worst game of the season, also quickly found success. He looked determined to shake off his previous outing, often penetrating the lane for layups and pull-up jumpers, and overall looking much more assertive and comfortable than on Tuesday.

Sellers' tomahawk fastbreak dunk in the half's final minutes was an emphatic reminder of the dynamic dimension he's provided BSU for most of this season. He finished with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting in the first half.

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Although the bench didn't add much statistically, the group maintained BSU's advantage during its stretches. Sophomore forward Basheer Jihad, however, made his presence felt on both ends and finished the half with eight points, four rebounds and two steals in nine minutes.

It was perhaps the 19 year old's best stretch of play this season, an encouraging sign for a player who Lewis said postgame is still finding his role and developing at this level.

The second half, though, immediately caused frustration for Lewis and the Cardinals. Lewis called a timeout 75 seconds into the frame after his team allowed five straight points, and BSU's defensive resistance remained limited thereafter until the final few minutes.

Ball State was often slow in its second-half defensive rotations, which allowed the RedHawks (7-10, 1-3 MAC) to consistently get high-percentage shots in and around the lane. Miami (Ohio) narrowed its deficit to as little as eight points, 63-55, with five minutes remaining, the result of shooting 52.6% to BSU's 29.2% in the half to that point.

Fouls partly to blame for Ball State's woes. Jacobs and redshirt junior guard Jarron Coleman were in foul trouble for most of the final 20 minutes, forced to defend less aggressively while constantly being substituted in and out of the game.

Coleman's fouls also impacted his offensive production. He entered the contest as BSU's top scorer at 14.1 points per game but endured his worst shooting performance of the season, going 3-for-14 (21.4%) from the field for nine points, ending his streak of 15 consecutive double-digit scoring efforts.

Junior guard Luke Bumbalough played 22 minutes as a result, his most since at Eastern Illinois on Dec. 7, and was solid on both ends despite scoring just two points. Junior guard Jalen Windham, however, got several earfuls from Lewis in his nine minutes about needing to "wake up" and be sharper defensively.

Sophomore center Payton Sparks had the toughest matchup of any Cardinal, facing 6-foot-8-inch, 305-pound senior center Anderson Mirambeaux. Sparks mostly held his own, holding the big man to under 50% shooting, while notching his fifth double-double of the season with 12 points and a season-high 14 rebounds.

Although the final score wasn't as lopsided as it could've been after a stellar BSU first half, Lewis was pleased afterward with his team's focus from the tip after a disappointing loss. The Cardinals established themselves early, never trailed, tied their season low in turnovers (seven), Sellers and Jacobs bounced back to lead the team with 15 points each, and the group didn't panic when the RedHawks briefly came within striking distance.

But Lewis also said the second half proved the team isn't yet where it needs to be. 44 paint points allowed is too many, and settling for so many triples let Miami (Ohio) off the hook defensively.

The Cardinals will look to put together a full 40 minutes at home at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17 against Western Michigan (6-11, 2-2 MAC).

Gus Martin is a sports reporter at The Star Press. Follow him on Twitter @GusMartin_SP, and contact him at gmartin@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Muncie Star Press: Ball State men's basketball: 75-61 win over rival Miami (Ohio)