Box Score (PDF)

RICHMOND, Ky. – Veterans Jonathan Hood, Ja'Mill Powell and Jaylen Babb-Harrison combined for 48 points off the bench to help propel the Eastern Kentucky University men's basketball team to a come-from-behind 89-81 win over Ball State on Friday night in the @EKUHoops Classic at McBrayer Arena.
 
EKU's bench outscored Ball State's bench, 53-21, on the night.
 
After the Colonels fell behind 13-0 in the opening minutes, head coach Dan McHale checked in five new players, and those five reserves turned the tide of the game.
 
Hood was the star of the show. His three-pointer finally got EKU on the board and sparked an 11-0 run to pull the Colonels back into the game. The senior from Durham, North Carolina finished with a career-high 21 points. His previous career high was eight points. He connected on 5-of-7 three-pointers and 7-of-9 shots overall.
 
Junior JaVontae Hawkins was the only starter to reach double figures for the Colonels, scoring 20 points to go along with four rebounds, two steals and an assist.
 
Babb-Harrison went for 14 points, four rebounds and two assists. Powell added 13 points and an assist.
 
After a slow shooting start, EKU heated up to finish an impressive 57 percent  (26-of-46) from the field. The Colonels also shot 11-of-22 (50 percent) from behind the arc. After recording only five assists in Monday's loss at UNCW, EKU dished out 14 assists in Friday's win.
 
EKU's defense forced the Cardinals into 18 turnovers. The Colonels blocked three shots on the night.
 
Ball State was led in scoring by Ryan Weber, who had 19. Franko House added 17 for the Cardinals.
 
After EKU rallied back from its initial 13-0 deficit, Ball State stretched its lead back to 11, 28-17, with 9:42 left in the first half. It was Hood, again, that sparked the Colonels, knocking down a jumper to start a 12-4 run that brought Eastern to within three, 32-29, with 5:44 showing on the clock. A tip-in by Hawkins less than a minute later tied the game, and a pair of free throws by Hood soon after that gave the Colonels their first lead of the game, 36-34.
 
A three-pointer from the corner by Powell sent the Colonels into the locker room at halftime up by a point, 43-42.
 
However, EKU quickly found itself down 57-50 seven minutes into the second half. This time it was Babb-Harrison's turn to jumpstart the Colonels. The junior from Ajax, Ontario hit back-to-back threes to pull EKU to within one. Three possessions later, sophomore Paul Jackson converted on a layup to give EKU a 61-60 lead at the 10:45 mark. Eastern never trailed the rest of the way, as Jackson's layup was part of a 27-5 run that eventually gave the Colonels a 15-point advantage, 77-62, with 5:41 to play.

EKU improved to 7-0 all-time versus Ball State with Friday's victory.
 
The Colonels will be back in action Saturday as they take on the South Carolina State Bulldogs. Tipoff will be at 2 p.m. ET.