Indiana University Athletics
No. 17 Indiana Defeats Ball State, 80-56
12/31/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Dec. 31, 2005
MUNCIE, Ind. (AP) - Robert Vaden scored 17 of his 22 points in the first half, and D.J. White added 16 points and nine rebounds in his first start of the season as No. 17 Indiana routed Ball State 80-56 on Saturday.
Indiana (8-2) won its fourth straight game and has beaten the Cardinals 15 consecutive times since last losing in 1937.
Skip Mills had 16 points for Ball State (4-4), while Charles Bass added 12. Mills has scored in double figures 16 straight games, but the Cardinals have lost four of their last six.
Indiana, coming off an eight-day break since beating another in-state rival, Butler, looked sluggish early. The Hoosiers trailed for the first 5 minutes, threw the ball away three times before making a field goal and allowed Ball State to go on an 8-3 run to take a 20-18 lead with 7:10 left in the half.
That's when Vaden got started. His ability to drive opened up the middle for White, who provided an inside spark with Marco Killingsworth in foul trouble.
And when White started dominating the middle, it opened up the outside for Vaden. Vaden hit three 3s to spark a 13-0 run late in the half that gave Indiana a 31-20 lead. The Hoosiers extended their lead to 44-26 before Mills' halfcourt buzzer-beater made it 44-29.
Foul trouble and the Hoosiers' solid shooting never gave Ball State a chance in the second half.
Marshall Strickland scored all 18 of his points in the final 20 minutes as the Hoosiers went 10-of-17 from the field to put away the Cardinals, one of the nation's top defensive teams. Ball State was allowing 56.6 points per game before Saturday.
Vaden shot 8-of-11, including making all six of his 3s. He has hit 10 consecutive 3s in his last two games.
