MONROE, La. (Interstat) — In a game defined by a stark contrast in offensive approaches, the Ball State Cardinals withstood a furious second-half rally from Louisiana-Monroe to escape Fant-Ewing Coliseum with a 73-68 victory in a nonconference men’s basketball game Saturday.

The Cardinals, who led by as many as 16 points in the first half and took a nine-point advantage into halftime, saw that cushion evaporate completely in the second period. A relentless parade to the free-throw line by the Warhawks, fueled by Ball State’s foul trouble, turned a comfortable lead into a tense battle down the stretch.

Ball State’s first-half dominance was built on interior scoring and forcing Louisiana-Monroe into a historically poor shooting performance from deep. The Cardinals scored 40 points in the paint and held the Warhawks to just 2-of-18 shooting from three-point range for the entire game. Ball State shot 43.5% from the field overall, while Louisiana-Monroe managed only 37.5%.

The most important part of the game unfolded in the final minutes. After Louisiana-Monroe’s Krystian Lewis, who scored a game-high 26 points, tied the game at 63-63 on a turnaround jumper with 41 seconds remaining, Ball State’s composure was tested. The Cardinals responded at the foul line. Davion Hill, who finished with 14 points, hit one of two free throws with nine seconds left to give Ball State a 65-63 lead.

On the ensuing possession, Louisiana-Monroe’s Dylan Diaz missed a potential go-ahead three-pointer. Ball State’s Mason Jones secured the defensive rebound and was fouled. Jones made both free throws to extend the lead to four with seven seconds left, effectively sealing the outcome. A last-second three-pointer by Diaz as time expired only served to tighten the final margin.

Ball State’s balance proved crucial. Kayden Fish matched Hill with 14 points and grabbed six rebounds. Elmore James added 13 points, and Armoni Zeigler contributed 11 points and six rebounds. Mason Jones, despite scoring only three points, was a force on the glass with a game-high 10 rebounds.

Louisiana-Monroe’s comeback attempt was led almost single-handedly by Lewis, a Monroe native, who poured in 26 points, with 19 coming in the second half. He was 10-of-12 from the free-throw line, part of a staggering 36 free-throw attempts by the Warhawks as a team. They made 30 of them, an 83.3% clip. Lavell Brodnex recorded a double-double with 17 points and 13 rebounds for Louisiana-Monroe.

The Warhawks’ inability to connect from the perimeter, combined with Ball State’s significant 40-26 advantage in points in the paint and a 13-8 edge in offensive rebounds, ultimately provided the Cardinals with enough of a buffer to survive the late surge.

Ball State, which entered as a 4.5-point favorite according to sportsbooks, improved its record to 8-15. The Cardinals snapped a two-game losing streak and will look to build momentum as they return to Mid-American Conference play. Louisiana-Monroe fell to 4-21 with the loss.

The game, played in front of 1,521 fans, finished with a total score of 141 points, just under the pregame over/under line of 140.5. Statistical analysis gave Ball State a 64.9% probability of winning pregame, a forecast that held true despite the Warhawks’ determined second-half push.