Hoosier State Today

The Ball State men's basketball team closed out 2022 at home against Chicago State on Wednesday. Jarron Coleman led the Cardinals with 16 points as BSU defeated CSU 70-63, for its fifth-straight win.

The Cardinals improved to 9-4 overall, while the Cougars fell to 3-13 on the year. Ball State ended the non-conference schedule with a 9-4 record, the first time since the 2018-19 season when BSU started 9-4.

"When Darian (Owens-White) dove between the guy's legs, that's a winning play," said Head Coach Michael Lewis. "That doesn't only account for those two points, it deflates any run they were on and gives you a spark. I love the kid (Jaylin Sellers), he's a worker. I've told you guys over and over. He's earned the right to have the type of year he's having. We have to continue to grow as a team. We made some defensive breakdowns, under four minutes. We've got to get better at that. It's part of growing and learning how to win. That's a good win. For them (Chicago State) to play the schedule that they play and travel the way that they have to travel, and for him (Coach Gillion) to have those guys wired up and competing as hard as they compete every night, their coach is doing a heck of a job."

Coleman led BSU with 16 points and added five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal. He has posted double-digit points in 12-consecutive contests. Sellers finished with 14 points, a game-high three steals, two rebounds, an assist, and a block. He has scored in double figures in four-straight games. Payton Sparks recorded a game-high eight rebounds and dished out a game-high four assists. He added two blocked shots. For the second-straight contest, Demarius Jacobs has produced four blocks, which tied a career best. Jacobs chipped in with 11 points, six rebounds, two assists, and two steals.

The Cougars started the game strong and took an early 7-3 lead with 17:02 left in the first half. Sparks recorded an emphatic slam dunk that led to a 6-0 run for the Cardinals. Coleman knocked down two free throws and give Ball State a 9-7 lead with 13:39 left until the break. 

Chicago State answered with a 9-2 run to regain a 16-11 lead, its largest of the night, with 10:48 until half. Ball State was resilient and battled back with a 14-7 run. Coleman drained a 3-pointer to cap off the run and gave the Cardinals a 25-23 lead with 4:57 left in the first half. The Cougars ended the half outscoring the Cardinals 5-4, but Ball State took a 29-28 lead into the intermission.

The second half started as a back-and-forth battle. During the first 8:37, there were four ties and three lead changes as the score was tied 44-44 with 11:23 left in regulation. The two sides continued to trade baskets as the game remained tied, 48-48, with just under 10 minutes left in the game.

The Cardinals utilized a 7-0 run to take a 55-48 advantage with 8:32 left on the clock. Darian Owens-White came up with a key play for BSU. He poked a ball free from the Cougar ball handler and then dove between his legs to come up with a steal for the Cardinals with 6:47 left on the clock. Ball State started to stretch its lead and saw its largest of the night, 67-59, with 2:06 left in regulation. BSU used the eight-point cushion and claimed a 70-63 victory.

Wesley Cardet posted a game-high 18 points for the Cougars. He added seven boards. Bryce Johnson collected 17 points with five rebounds. Jahsean Corbett recorded a double-double, behind 12 points and 10 rebounds. Corbett also produced a steal and an assist. Elijah added a double-digit performance with 12 points to go along with his five rebounds, team-high three assists, and one block.

The Cardinals return to the court to start the new year off with the Mid-American Conference opener on the road against the Toledo Rockets. The game is scheduled for a 7 p.m. start on Tuesday, Jan. 3, on CBS Sports Network.

Original source can be found here.