Ball State edges Buffalo 71-68

Jan 23, 2015, 10:59 pm

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Franko House hit the go-ahead jumper with 45 seconds to go and Jesse Berry padded the lead with a pair of free throws as Ball State edged Buffalo 71-68 for its first Mid-American Conference win of the season Thursday night.

Trailing 36-30 at the break, Ball State (4-12, 1-4) opened the second half with a 10-4 run capped by a trio of Berry free throws, then kept the score close as the lead see-sawed between the teams down the stretch.

Berry scored 21 points, hitting a perfect 10-for-10 from the free throw line, while Chris Bond contributed 16 points and 13 rebounds. House and Majok Majok had 12 points each for the Cardinals.

Buffalo (9-6, 3-2) tied the game at 67 on layup by Josh Freelove with 1:14 to play, but couldn't recapture the lead.

Javon McCrea led the Bulls with 28 points and 11 rebounds.