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MUNCIE, Ind. – Led by a career-high 32 points from senior guard Jaylin Hunter, the Ohio men's basketball team (13-10, 7-4 MAC) outlasted Ball State (12-11, 4-7 MAC), 84-79 in overtime Tuesday night (Feb. 6) inside Worthen Arena. 
 
Overall, Ohio shot 48.3 percent from the field, 28 percent from three and were 21-of-26 from the line, while Ball State shot 42.3 percent from the field, 30.4 percent from three and were 12-of-19 from the line. Ball State out-rebounded the Bobcats, 45-34, while Ohio dished out 13 assists to the Cardinals' 15. Ohio also registered seven blocks and 12 turnovers. 
 
Hunter (Manchester, Conn.) led all scorers with 32 points, going 10-of-17 from the field, 2-of-6 from three and 10-of-12 from the line. He also grabbed five rebounds and dished out five assists. Sophomore forward Aidan Hadaway (Lafayette, Ga.) recorded a double double, scoring 14 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, while also recording three blocks. Senior guard Miles Brown (Rochester, N.Y.) scored 10 points, while junior forward AJ Clayton (Roseville, Ohio) added eight points, six rebounds and three blocks. 
 
The Bobcats won the tip and opened the game on a 10-run, forcing Ball State to burn a 30-second timeout after an open layup from Hadaway with 17:33 remaining in the first half. After Brown's second three of the game put Ohio up 13-0, the Cardinals stopped the run with a layup, cutting the Ohio lead to 13-2 going into the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, a three from Hunter helped increase the Ohio lead to 16-4 before a three from Ball State and a free throw from senior center Gabe Wiznitzer (Walhalla, S.C.) put Ohio up 10 with 11:44 to go in the half. 

Ball State cut the Ohio lead to seven before a three from Clayton hit a three to give the Bobcats a 24-14 lead. After Ball State cut the Ohio lead back down to seven again, layups from Wiznitzer and Hunter put the Bobcats back up 32-23 entering the final media timeout of the half. After Ball State cut the lead to 34-27 with a jumper, a layup from Hadaway gave the Bobcats a 36-27 lead going into halftime. 
 
At the half, Ohio shot 51.9 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from three and were 4-of-5 from the line, while Ball State shot 32.1 percent from the field, 20 percent from three and were 7-of-8 from the line. Ball State out-rebounded the Bobcats, 17-16, while Ohio dished out seven assists and forced nine turnovers, scoring 13 points off them. 
 
Individually, Hunter led Ohio with nine points and three assists, while Hadaway added six points and six rebounds, followed by Brown and Clayton with six points each. 
 
Ball State opened the second half on a 7-0 run to cut the Ohio lead to two before a three from Hunter stopped the run. After Ball State matched it with a three of their own, a dunk from Clayton and a layup from Hunter put Ohio up 43-39 entering the first media timeout. Out of the timeout, Ball State would erase the Ohio lead, taking a one-point lead with 13 minutes to go. After the Bobcats called a timeout, back-to-back threes from sophomore forward Ike Cornish (Baltimore, Md.) and sophomore guard Ajay Sheldon (Dublin, Ohio) put the Bobcats back up, 52-49 with 10:37 to go. 
 
After Ball State tied the game at 52-52, the two teams traded baskets, with Ohio taking a two-point lead with 7:46 remaining. Out of the timeout, the two teams traded baskets, with Ohio tying the game at 64-64 after a driving layup from Hunter with 5:19 remaining. As minutes wound down, the two teams continued to trade baskets, with another driving layup from Hunter tying the game at 72-72 with 48.0 seconds remaining. After the Bobcats got the ball back with under 30 seconds to go, Ohio missed a jumper with seven seconds to go, forcing Ball State to take the last shot, forcing overtime with the game tied at 72-72. 
 
Ohio got the first points in overtime with Hadaway hitting two free throws. After the teams traded baskets over the next few minutes, Ohio was able to take a one-point lead with 17 seconds to go. However, moments later with Ball State at the line to shoot three free throws to take the lead, the Cardinals missed all three, immediately fouling Hunter, sending him to the line with 13 seconds to go, helping secure the 84-79 victory. 
 
For Ball State, Jalin Anderson led with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Mickey Pearson, Jr. added 18 points and nine rebounds. 
 
Up next, the Bobcats head to Jonesboro, Ark. on Saturday, Feb. 10 to take on Arkansas State in the second matchup of the MAC-SBC Challenge. Tip-off is set for 3 p.m. EST inside First National Bank Arena and can be seen on ESPN+.
 
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