HADLEY, Mass. (Interstat) — Massachusetts used a second-half surge to defeat Ball State 79-71 in a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball game Saturday at Mullins Center before a crowd of 4,010.

The Minutemen, who led 28-25 at halftime, scored 51 points after intermission to pull away. Leonardo Bettiol led Massachusetts with 20 points, while Marcus Banks added 17. Davion Hill scored 22 points for the Cardinals, who fell to 4-12. Massachusetts improved to 10-7.

Ball State shot 44.6% from the field but was hampered by only three offensive rebounds. Massachusetts capitalized at the free-throw line, making 20 of 29 attempts. The Minutemen also forced a 114.9 offensive rating on 69 possessions to secure the win.