Box Score

ESTERO, Fla. – Eastern Kentucky University took a 4-point lead with 2:12 left in the game, but Ball State scored the final six points to pull out a 63-61 win on the opening day of the Gulf Coast Showcase at Hertz Arena in Florida.
 
George Kimble III made the second of two free throw attempts to put the Colonels (3-2) ahead 61-57.  EKU forced a turnover on the Cardinals' next possession and pulled in two offensive rebounds before turning the ball over with 1:22 to play.  Mickey Pearson Jr. hit a 3-pointer to draw BSU within one, 61-60, with 1:07 showing on the clock. 
 
The Colonels missed a shot in the paint on their next possession, but grabbed their 19th offensive rebound of the game.  However, EKU failed to convert the second-chance opportunity when the shot clock expired with 27 seconds remaining.  Payton Sparks converted a layup and free throw at the other end to swing the lead in favor of Ball State with 15 seconds to go.  With the help of their 20th and final offensive board of the game, the Colonels got off two shots in the final five seconds but missed on both.
 
Devontae Blanton led all players with 23 points and 11 rebounds, pulling down seven off the offensive glass.  He also had three assists and a steal.  Kimble had 11 points, six rebounds, six steals and four assists.  Senior Montavious Myrick hauled in nine rebounds.
 
EKU out-rebounded the Cardinals 41-31, but turned its 20 offensive rebounds into only 14 second-chance points due in large part to shooting 31 percent from the field for the game.  The Colonels made just 6-of-24 from behind the arc (25 percent).
 
Ball State made 49 percent of its shots from the field and 35 percent (6-for-17) from deep.  The Cardinals scored 30 of their 63 points in the paint, 10 more than EKU.
 
Jermahri Hill led BSU (2-4) with 18 points and seven rebounds.  He connected on 6-of-9 from the field.
 
With the game tied at 27-27 and less than two minutes showing on the clock, the Colonels closed the first half on a 7-2 run.  Blanton started it with a jumper and Tyler Andrews followed with a 3-pointer from the left corner.  EKU scored its next four at the free throw line.  Hill's jumper with 29 seconds to go set the halftime score at 36-29.
 
Blanton scored 17 of the Colonels' 36 first half points, making 7-of-11 from the field.
 
Ball State erased the deficit by scoring the first seven points of the second half, tying the game on Juanse Gorosito's 3-pointer.  After EKU built a 43-38 edge on a 3-pointer from the top of the key by Kimble, the Cardinals scored nine straight.  TJ Burch capped that run with a layup for a 47-43 advantage. 
 
Blanton started a 10-2 run with a jumper after grabbing an offensive rebound.  He capped it with another jumper and EKU led 55-51 with 7:19 remaining.  Two free throws from Kimble pushed the margin to five, 60-55, with 4:28 to play.
 
The Colonels will continue play at the Gulf Coast Showcase on Tuesday against Southern Illinois.  The game will begin at 12 p.m. ET and air live on FloCollge.  The live radio broadcast of the game is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, or worldwide on EKUSports.com.