DEKALB, Ill. (Interstat) — In a Mid-American Conference men’s basketball game defined by suffocating defense and an explosive second-half run, the Ball State Cardinals delivered a decisive 79-43 road victory over the Northern Illinois Huskies on Saturday at the Convocation Center.

The most important part of the game unfolded decisively in the opening minutes of the second half, where Ball State transformed a competitive contest into a lopsided affair. Leading 36-29 at halftime, the Cardinals unleashed a 22-2 run over the first eight minutes after intermission, holding the Huskies without a field goal for nearly seven minutes. That stretch effectively decided the outcome, ballooning a seven-point lead to 58-31 and extinguishing any hope of a home comeback.

Ball State’s offensive execution was crisp, but the foundation of the win was laid on the defensive end. The Cardinals held Northern Illinois to a frigid 11-for-43 shooting performance from the floor, a mere 25.6 percent. The Huskies’ offensive struggles were encapsulated by a scoring output of just 14 points in the second half. Ball State’s defensive pressure generated nine turnovers and limited Northern Illinois to only three offensive rebounds, controlling the glass with a 41-26 overall advantage.

Offensively, Ball State shared the wealth, placing five players in double figures. Guard Davion Hill, a sophomore from Williamsport, Pennsylvania, orchestrated the attack with 17 points and seven assists in 30 minutes. Armoni Zeigler, a guard from Amityville, New York, added 13 points and six assists, while forwards Kayden Fish of Kansas City, Missouri, and Elmore James of Cleveland, Ohio, each contributed 12 points. Guard Devon Barnes from Hinesville, Georgia, chipped in 11 points.

The Cardinals shot an efficient 50 percent from the field, connecting on 11 of 25 attempts from three-point range. Their offensive rating of 123.9 points per 100 possessions starkly contrasted with Northern Illinois’s anemic 71.8, highlighting the chasm in efficiency between the two sides.

Northern Illinois, which entered the game as a slight pregame favorite, never found an offensive rhythm. Daemar Kelly led the Huskies with nine points off the bench. Starting guard Gianni Cobb of Chicago finished with four points and three assists but struggled from the field. As a team, the Huskies managed only four made three-pointers on 17 attempts.

The victory improved Ball State’s season record to 10-19 overall. Northern Illinois fell to 9-19. The Cardinals swept the season series, having also defeated the Huskies 58-53 in Muncie on Jan. 24.

Ball State set the tone early, building a 12-3 lead in the first five minutes behind three-pointers from Barnes and Hill. Northern Illinois clawed back, primarily through free throws, to keep the deficit manageable at halftime. But any momentum the Huskies carried into the locker room was swiftly erased by Ball State’s relentless second-half surge, a period defined by defensive stops and transition opportunities that put the game out of reach.

The announced attendance was 1,887 at the Convocation Center.

Ball State travels to face Western Michigan on Tuesday. Northern Illinois will host Kent State, also on Tuesday.