MUNCIE, IN ? A three-point barrage late in the first half was too much for Toledo to overcome in a 59-52 setback this afternoon at Ball State. The defeat leaves UT with an 8-16 overall mark and a 5-7 Mid-American Conference ledger and still searching for its first road win of the season. The Cardinals improved their overall record to 5-19 overall and 4-8 in the conference.

 

Junior guard Tyrone Kent led UT offensively with a game-high 18 points, with junior guard Jonathan Amos the only other Rocket in double figures with 10 points. Ball State utilized a balanced attack with senior Peyton Stovall (15 pts), freshman Melvin Goins (14 pts.) and junior Anthony Newell (12 pts.) all scoring in double figures.

 

The Rockets shot just 33.3 percent from the field and committed 18 turnovers in the contest but remained within striking distance for much of the second half. The key juncture of the game occurred late in the first half when the Cardinals hit three straight three-point field goals to take a 29-18 lead with 48 seconds to play in the opening stanza. Goins hit two of the bombs from nearly 25 feet out with the shot clock running out.

 

“We didn't do a very good job today of protecting the basketball against a team that doesn't press,” Head Coach Stan Joplin said. “I thought we played pretty well defensively but we couldn't overcome the spurt the Ball State had late in the first half.”

 

The Rockets reduced their deficit to four, 33-29, less than four minutes into the second half on junior guard Ridley Johnson's three-point field goal but that was as close as UT could come.

 

Toledo will return to action on Saturday, Feb. 23 with its Bracket Buster contest vs. Delaware. Tip-off time is set for 7:00 p.m.