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Ball State Basketball Beats Delaware State in Historic Fashion

By Greg Huss

EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 29: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to drive the ball as Gairges Daow #2 and Jaylen Key #15 of the Northern Illinois Huskies defend during the first half of the game at the Breslin Center on December 29, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Northern Illinois 88-60.(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images)
EAST LANSING, MI - DECEMBER 29: Xavier Tillman #23 of the Michigan State Spartans looks to drive the ball as Gairges Daow #2 and Jaylen Key #15 of the Northern Illinois Huskies defend during the first half of the game at the Breslin Center on December 29, 2018 in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State defeated Northern Illinois 88-60.(Photo by Leon Halip/Getty Images) /
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Delaware State scored the first basket of the game to take a 2-0 lead over the Ball State basketball team. That would prove to be the high point of the day for the Hornets of Delaware.

Ball State finished off non-conference play on Saturday with a 116-57 win in one of the best performances in school history. There were several school records broken in the process, including most points scored against a Division 1 opponent, most points in Worthen Arena history, and top five largest margin of victory in school history.

The Cardinals used a 31-0 run in the first half to get off to a fast start after the 2-0 deficit. It was more than just electric offense in this one as the home team played terrific defense along the way, holding the Hornets to just 2 points with 8:03 left in the first half and held their opponent to just 30.1% shooting throughout the game.

BSU went into halftime up 61-17 and the lead just did not stop expanding moving into the second half. They found themselves up by as many as 60 points more than halfway through the second, lead by reserves like Blake Huggins, Austin Nehls, and Josh Thompson.

Statistically, it was a full team effort, with all nine players who appeared in the game getting at least 16 minutes of action. Thompson emerged as the leading scorer with 19 points, including a perfect 4-4 from three-point land. Nehls also went 4-4 from three en route to his 12 points. Overall, all nine players reached double digits in scoring besides just 8 points for Zach Gunn.

Other notable individual performances included 16 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds from Tayler Persons, and 12 points and 9 boards from Trey Moses.

As a team, the Cardinals continued their torrid shooting pace this season. They put up a 55.7% field goal percentage, 50% three-point percentage, and shot 84.1% on 37-44 from the free throw line.

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The win puts Ball State at 9-4 going into the conference schedule for the fourth consecutive season. They will face Toledo in one of the most important matchups of the season on the road on Friday, January 4th.

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