Dec. 27, 1999
SAN DIEGO (AP) - Josh Murray scored 19 points as Ball State used an 18-6 second-half run Monday night to pull away for an 82-65 victory over San Diego State.
The win was the Cardinals' eighth straight since a season-opening loss at Wisconsin. The 8-1 start is Ball State's best since beginning the 1990-91 season with the identical record.
Murray and Duane Clemens helped key the decisive run as the Cardinals increased a 42-38 lead at the 14:41 mark to 60-44 just more than five minutes later.
Clemens started the run with a 3-point play and combined with Murray to score the first 11 points in the stretch.
The Aztecs (3-6) cut the lead to 67-58 on Jeffrey Berokoff's 3-pointer at the 5:45 mark, but could get no closer the rest of the way.
Murray added a game-high 14 rebounds and Clemens scored 17 points - 13 coming in the second half - with seven assists. Cedric Moodie scored 12 points for Ball State and Patrick Jackson and Theron Smith finished with 11 points each.
The Cardinals, who shot just 37.5 percent in the first half, improved to 58.6 percent in the second as they went 17-for-26.
Myron Epps led San Diego with 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Vincent Okotie had 14 points.