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MUNCIE, IN - Ball State University - which shocked UCLA and Kansas in back-to-back games in November at the Maui Invitational - appears to be hitting its stride again. The Cardinals hit 53% of their shots Wednesday night to down the University at Buffalo, 87-63, in front of 6,130 at the John Worthen Arena in a Mid-American Conference game.

The Cardinals (16-8 and 9-4 in the MAC) jumped to a 41-28 halftime advantage and then shot 65.4% in the second half (17-of-26) to make sure Buffalo could not mount a comeback. Theron Smith scored 24 points, and added 12 rebounds, to lead a group of four Ball State players in double figures. Chris Williams added 17 points off the bench for the Cardinals, whose bench outscored Buffalo by a 31-19 margin. Ball State has won three of its last four while Buffalo has dropped four of its last five.

After Buffalo went on a small run to close the halftime lead to 13, the Cardinals opened the second half with an 18-5 run ­including a pair of trifectas by Williams ­to put the game away. The Bulls, who turned the ball over 19 times in the game, would not get closer than 20 points the rest of the way.

Buffalo's few bright spots were the play of seniors

Robert Brown

Robert Brown (Oak Park, MI/Oak Park) and Louis Campbell (Rahway, NJ/Rahway) and freshman Turner Battle (Kernersville, NC/East Forsyth). Brown finished with 13 points ­ 11 of them in the first half ­ and four rebounds while Campbell had 12 points, five assists and two steals. Battle, meanwhile, hit 5-of-9 shots, including a pair of treys, to finish with 12 points while also chipping in five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Buffalo did outrebound the Cardinals by a 42-35 advantage, including 18 offensive rebounds. Leading scorer Darcel Williams (Buffalo, NY/Traditional) was held to three points on 1-of-6 shooting in just 17 minutes of action. Junior Clement Smith (Brooklyn, NY/Westinghouse) returned to the lineup after missing five games with a stress fracture and had four points and two rebounds in 11 minutes.

The Bulls stayed in it early as they trailed just 22-17 with 8:23 remaining in the opening stanza. However, Ball State would hit three trifectas to close the half and Buffalo would not get the game in single digits after that.

Buffalo will host Central Michigan on Saturday afternoon at Alumni Arena for a 2:00 pm tipoff. The game will air live on the Empire Sports Network.