MUNCIE, Ind. – Closing the team’s longest road trip of the season with the final of its three games away from the Hub City, USC Upstate men’s basketball battled for 40 minutes, keeping itself in the fight all night as the team wrapped up its multi-team event—Midwest Madness—with a 75-58 setback at Ball State.
 
Continuing the team’s streak of games with double-digit forced turnovers, Upstate forced 10 Cardinal miscues Tuesday night, including swiping six steals with five players combining for the thefts. The game, however, marked the first this season seeing the turnover margin not tilt in the Spartans’ favor, sitting even as Ball State forced 10 turnovers, turning the miscues into 16 points compared to Upstate’s 10 points scored off turnovers.
 
For the fifth time in six games, redshirt junior guard Trae Broadnax and sophomore guard Justin Bailey scored in double-figures, doing so in the same game for the fourth time this season. Braodnax led the Spartans with 14 points, going 7-for-11 from the field (63.6 percent) while Bailey poured in 13 points. Just shy of double-figures and his second career double-double, redshirt senior forward Ahmir Langlais tallied nine markers and pulled in a season-high-tying eight rebounds.
 
Game Information
Score: Ball State 75; USC Upstate 58
Records: USC Upstate (2-4; 0-0 Big South); Ball State (4-1; 0-0 MAC)
Location: Worthen Arena | Muncie, Ind.
 
How It Happened
First Half

  • Taking the opening tap for the second time this season, Upstate went down and scored on its opening possession as Justin Bailey knocked down an elbow jumper to put the Spartans on the board. Ball State answered with a 7-0 scoring run to take the lead before Jordyn Surratt knocked down a wing three to pull Upstate within two heading into the first media timeout.
  • The Cardinals built their lead behind the game’s longest scoring run, posting 12 straight points out of the media timeout. Following five consecutive field goals, including a three, the Spartans opted for a timeout to quell the scoring run.
  • After an ensuing free throw following the Upstate timeout, the Spartans hit consecutive baskets with an alley-oop to Ahmir Langlais and a driving layup from Trae Broadnax pulling the lead back to 10 in favor of the hosts. After the mini 4-0 run for the Spartans, the two teams traded buckets heading into the final two minutes of the half.
  • With under two minutes to play, Upstate snapped the back-and-forth nature of the game with a 5-0 scoring run heading into the final minute of the half. A layup from Langlais and a three from Bailey comprised the run before Langlais added a second layup to pull Upstate within seven at the halftime buzzer.

 
Second Half

  • Building upon the team’s strong close to the first half, Upstate exited the locker room and pulled within one using a six-point spurt to begin the new period. Nick Alves kickstarted the run with a steal and dunk in transition before Broadnax added a layup and Bailey two free throws to cut the Ball State lead to one.
  • The Cardinals snapped the run with four straight points before Bailey nailed a pull-up jumper to keep Upsate within a possession down three. Ball State scored the next seven points, fashioning an 11-2 scoring stretch to push the lead back to 10.
  • Cutting back into the lead, the Spartans began a stretch that saw the two sides trade scoring runs, beginning with Upstate’s 5-0 scoring run to trim the lead back to five. The Cardinals answered with an 8-0 scoring run before the Spartans countered with a 9-0 scoring run to cut the lead back down to four heading into the game’s final nine minutes.
  • Closing out the game, Ball State outscored Upstate 24-11 over the final nine minutes of action to grow the final margin to 17 points. The stretch featured a pair of long scoring runs for the Cardinals, seeing a 9-0 and 8-0 scoring stretch.

 
Notable

  • Through six games on the season, Upstate has forced 10 or more turnovers in each game, continuing the team’s longest streak of games with double-digit forced turnovers to start a season since the 2021-22 season. However, Tuesday’s game marked the first time this season ended without a turnover margin positively in the Spartans’ favor.
  • Collecting two blocks versus the Cardinals, Ahmir Langlais pushed his season block total to 10, becoming the third player in the Big South with 10 or more blocks this season. He’s picked up at least one blocked shot in five of six games this season and has multiple blocks in four games.
  • With five made three-pointers against Ball State, Upstate extended its streak of games with at least one made three-pointer to 878 games, a streak dating back to the 1994-95 season. The streak includes each of the 511 games played by the program at the NCAA Division I level (2007-pres.).

 
Up Next for the Spartans
Coming off the team’s pre-holiday road trip, the Spartans return to action post-holiday with a Saturday matinee at the G.B. Hodge Center. Upstate welcomes Voorhees to Spartanburg for a 4 p.m. ET tip-off.