Cardinals Soar to Victory with Unstoppable Defense Against Evansville!

MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men’s basketball squad limited Evansville to 29 percent shooting, and Payton Sparks registered a season-high offensive output, guiding the Cardinals to an 80-43 victory on Saturday afternoon at Worthen Arena.

Ball State (5-6) initiated the game with the first 11 points and maintained control, leading 37-17 at the halftime intermission. The 17 points allowed were the lowest the Cardinals have given up in a half this season, and the 20-point advantage marked their largest halftime lead of the year.

Sparks contributed 20 points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal, and a block off the bench to help secure the Cardinals’ second consecutive win. Jermahri Hill showcased a series of spectacular dunks, finishing with 13 points, eight rebounds, and four steals. Two of the steals resulted in breakaway slams during the first half.

Jeremiah Hernandez added 12 points, three assists, and three steals, while Ben Hendriks (10 points, four rebounds) completed the group of Cardinals with double-digit scoring. A total of 10 Ball State players contributed to the scoring throughout the game.

Ball State achieved 50 percent shooting (27-54) from the field, including 41.2 percent (7-17) from beyond the arc, making 67.9 percent (19-28) of free throws. Evansville converted 16-of-55 field goals and managed only 11.5 percent (3-26) from three-point range.

The Cardinals dominated the rebounding stats 42-33 and held leads in points within the paint (32-22) and second-chance points (13-7). Evansville recorded more turnovers (13-6) than Ball State, which contributed to the hosts’ 20-3 advantage in points off turnovers.

The 37-point margin of victory became the second-largest in the history of the series between Evansville and the Cardinals, following a 61-16 outcome back on Feb. 2, 1930 in the second-ever meeting. Ball State restricted the Purple Aces (3-9) to their lowest scoring output in previous matchups since 1935.

The hosts compelled an NCAA Division I opponent to shoot below 30 percent for the first occasion since March 11, 2019, when they played against Eastern Michigan, which also marked the last time Ball State held a Division I rival to 43 points or fewer. The Cardinals triumphed over the Eagles 61-43 in Ypsilanti during the initial round of the Mid-American Conference Tournament that day.

Ball State will enjoy a nine-day break between games for Christmas before facing Anderson on New Year’s Eve.