Ball State gets comeback win at Bowling Green
It’s the best win of the season, in head coach James Whitford’s eyes.
Ball State overcame a 14-point deficit in the second half to defeat Bowling Green 72-64 Tuesday night. His Cardinals shot a season-best 53.2 percent from the floor and 52.6 percent from 3-point range.
"At halftime, our effort was good," Whitford said. "The game wasn't going our way, but I could sense that our team was in the right place. During every huddle they were making suggestions.
"We showed a tremendous amount of grit."
At the core of the team’s comeback win was fifth-year transfer Nate Wells, whose 24 minutes and nine points were both personal season-bests. The 7-foot-1 center’s value continues to shoot up as Ball State (14-8, 5-4 Mid-American Conference) takes on Mid-American Conference opponents with a lot of height.
For big Nate Wells, small role can be tricky
He also grabbed four rebounds and dished out two assists, but his defense was a big deal for the Cardinals, too. Whitford said Wells helped against the pick-and-roll was key in Ball State's stand-up defensive effort over the last 20 minutes.
"Our whole team played the right way, but Nate Wells gave us an incredible lift," Whitford said. "If you're listening to the game on the radio and looking at the box score, you see the points and rebounds ... but he impacted the game defensively in a monumental way."
The Cardinals played inside-out in the second half, leaning on Wells and junior forward Franko House, who finished the game tied for a team-high 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting. Whitford said those two especially wore down Bowling Green defenders and helped create some shooting space on the perimeter.
After shooting just three free throws in the first half, Ball State's physical play led to 17 attempts at the charity stripe in the second. On the defensive front, the Cardinals held the Falcons to just four made field goals in the second half.
"The balance wasn't just between several players, but inside and out," Whitford said. "And that's not always easy for us to do. What allowed us to score as well as we did, is that we scored it from both post positions on the block."
Francis Kiapway scored 16 on 5 of 10 shooting to lead the Cardinals alongside House. Bo Calhoun scored nine points and pulled down two rebounds in 19 minutes of play. Point guard Naiel Smith saw 27 minutes of playing time and scored two points in addition to four rebounds and four assists.
For the second time this year, fifth-year senior guard Jeremiah Davis was a healthy scratch.
Contact Ball State sports reporter Dakota Crawford at dcrawford@muncie.gannett.com and follow@DakotaCrawford_.